Shots of Green, Red, Gold, and Blue
by the-lionness
Summary: AU one-shots featuring 'Legend of Korra' characters. Makorra and others. New Chapter! "You have to make a decision...It's not fair to either of them and you know it."
1. Korra's Theory

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Makorra_

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Warning: A borderline T/M rating. Read at own risk.

* * *

Sometimes, at certain times (like now), Korra wondered if bending a specific element affected the way its wielder had...well...sex. If, somehow, a bender embodied their element during the act itself. It was a semi-fleeting thought, one that usually wove its way into her musings at night and receded when she was finally tired or if she felt like she was an hour or two away from seeing sunrise and just fed up with thinking.

However, no matter how fleeting it was, it came enough times for her to believe that if there was a theory written down somehow, it was the following:

Airbenders, in the past, were verbal. They let their lovers know how they felt and slowly built up to _that_ moment;

Earthbenders were sturdy yet flexible, perfect for the more creative positions or simply keeping their lovers' feet from touching the ground;

Firebenders were warm, plain and simple, their ability to control their body temperature perfect for cold winter nights or, she figured, wonderfully intense in the summer—just barely bearable but not so overwhelming that..._things_ couldn't happen;

and Waterbenders were, well, wet—whether it was from pools of sweat gathering or in...other ways.

Part of her was well aware that girls like her thought about...sex whenever they imagined, remembered, or retold their "first time", but she also knew that her particular train of thought always popped up soon after the act itself. Whenever she was awake and found herself staring at the pinpricks of streetlights outside of the Probending Arena that bled through the thin curtains in the attic, safe in bed.

Mako's bed.

With Mako.

She figured it was because even after a whole hour or two passed, she—and she could never admit this to anyone, least of all him—wanted him and his warmth all over again because _Spirits_, it felt good.

From the beginning to the middle to the end, he was amazing—_all _of him. It was like being with fire itself.

_His body temperature getting stronger, but never so strong that it heated up the entire room; just himself, the sheets, and her._

_His fingers entwined in her hair. His fingers teasing the tips, and traveling down her skin, and bringing himself closer, chest-to-chest, masculine hand to feminine shoulder, lips-to-lips._

_The light, warm puffs of his breath on her collarbone and neck, tickling her. Her own heavy breathing in his ear. The harmless yet strongly-felt brand of his lips on her dark skin, over the parts of her she dared to show and share and give over to him and his touch. His warm touch all over. His mouth and its deep, throaty chuckle as he teased her, unknowingly reminding her of her theory about Waterbenders, and telling her that he liked what they were doing without ever really saying the words themselves._

_The movement and pace of his muscles and lower body and his ability to make the best friction she had ever felt in her life. Steady and strong and fluid and complete and _deep_ until her hands dug into his skin, his entire body growing slick with his sweat. Until the blanket inched down his back and he pressed his palms against the wall connecting his room to his little brother's to balance himself and make sure the bed springs didn't shake too loudly, and finally, that point when her eyes closed and there was stark, yet beautiful, whiteness and then fireworks of color._

_Reds, oranges, yellows._

_Her satisfaction._

_His satisfaction._

_His body, slowly cooling across hers._

She blinked to separate herself from those thoughts for the moment.

A particularly bold glow from an orange streetlight, the one from the meat-packing factory, fell across the bed, starting at the foot, ending on Korra's left, and climbing over Mako's body in between that distance.

In the relative darkness, her blue eyes roamed over his sleeping figure. Mako liked sleeping on his back, which was perfect because she liked sleeping on her side to face him. He was really beautiful—his milky-white skin, and even all the scratches and keloid skins that marred it; his lean yet muscular body; his mussed black locks; the curve of his eyebrow; and his eyelashes. His chest rose and fell smoothly; he breathed deeply, but never so much that he snored too loudly. Bolin almost literally slept like a rock in his room, outbursts of snores heard through the wall behind Mako's bed, never worried about being kicked out of a trashcan or abandoned building or cardboard box. But the older brother slept lightly and strangely, intimately, with her. His left arm and shoulder made up her pillow, which made it easier whenever she felt restless or content.

Her body wiggled a bit and her leg brushed against his. He stirred. "Korra...what's wrong?" His murmur was thick and husky with sleep. She realized that he was sleep-talking.

She squirmed some more and turned her head to stare at his jawline, his Adam's Apple, her lips accidentally brushing against the joint—not the best attempt in kissing his shoulder, or easing him out of sleep.

His eyelids fluttered and his brow furrowed, stubbornly intent on not opening again but automatically failing when her fingernails lightly pressed on his hipbone. She liked this moment when he was rousing himself out of sleep because he was already warm, his hand an imprint of his body heat as it slid up her side. "What's wrong?"

"I can't sleep."

His eyes looked at her deeply and she avoided returning it with one of her own, her glance directed everywhere else. It tickled when his fingers brushed against her ribs. She returned the gesture with one of her own, her hand brushing against his stomach.

Mako was never one for long conversations in the early morning and she could respect the sentiment. He took to watching her instead. Once, after the maybe the third time when they had finally let all that awkwardness of the action itself and other things—Asami; the fact that after three times, this wasn't an "accident"; the aftermath of her final Avatar victory over Amon; Mako's belief that he hesitated because of selfless feelings for and loyalty to Bolin; that they were still teammates; that they weren't dating and doing this whole 'I like you' thing by the book—stop being such monumental things, he had admitted that he liked watching her when it was dark. To him, she didn't carry her Avatar title and image or her tough, brute strength into his bed; she was all feminine and beautiful and cool. The words, the first time he had said them, had been enough to make her feel warm all over again.

His arm slid from underneath her and suddenly her head was pressed against the pillows and he was hovering over her. Cool air hit her skin and she shivered slightly, but he was warming up the sheets already. His eyes, yellow-brown, were flared in the relative darkness. "Do you want to...?"

She smiled.

Yes, she was. Of course she was.

And so he started, his fingers and mouth blazing trails over her skin and growing from an ember to an spark to a roaring flame. And after a few moments, a few touches and kisses, she moaned. "You feel really warm, Korra." He chuckled and smirked.

Really warm...wait—warmer than usual? Like fire?

She blinked, her theory shattered for the moment.

But a few more touches here and _there_, _there—__there_, and he was back to reminding her of her heritage.

A few fireworks behind her eyelids later, and the feel of his arms around her, she decided to address the concern before she finally fell asleep.

And then decided to let it go for now...There could always be exceptions to the theory.

* * *

Korra's Theory

* * *

_Revised notes: Thanks with sticking with me and the newest version of this oneshot. I thought it made mention of the idea of Mako and fire just a bit more. And there were less run-on sentences and commas involved I think. Again, tried to keep it as PG as I could here, but I definitely created an M version so if you're allowed, or face no consequences, please feel free to read. _

_R&R. Constructive criticism welcome; flamers not of a Bender nature beware._


	2. Eating One's Emotions

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Bolin_

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_This chapter is served best when listening to "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" on Drake's So Far Gone mixtape._

* * *

For an Earthbender, Bolin was really...leaky.

His face. His face was really leaky: tears and drool and snot.

"Narook," he practically whimpered as he walked into Narook's Seaweed Noodlery, "do you, do you have a free table?"

The shop's owner looked at the seventeen-year-old and his fire ferret draped over his shoulder, its little pink tongue licking at the tears streaming down his cheek. Bolin, as strong as he looked and as strong as he _was_, just looked a mess. His entire body seemed to sag on itself, like he was ready to curl under those disks he tossed around and never come out again. Heartbreak, plain and simple; the only kind of hurt that could break a tougher man and destroy a kinder one. "Sure, Bo. My best booth, just for you." The young boy practically sagged unto the leather, his cheek pressing on the cool granite and Formica table top. "What can I get you?"

One cup of Lotus Huangjiu.

One platter of chicken and leek dumplings. Fried.

One bowl of Water Tribe Noodles, hot. The large serving.

One Pu Pu Platter —two egg rolls, three fried wantons, two fried potstickers, two skewered chicken kabobs, one steamed meatball, and Shrimp Shaomai.

One bowl of raw, minced chicken—for Pabu.

"Put it on Mako's bill, Narook." Because even though Narook didn't have a problem with giving his best customer a discount (especially since business had never been better since the day the newspapers had caught the Bending Brothers eating here after one of their victories), and Bolin probably didn't have enough money to cover everything, Mako didn't deserve to be let off the hook so easily.

"Sure thing, Bo."

The Lotus Huangjiu, every cool drop that went from mouth to throat to stomach was to numb his brain, to help him from the sting and thought of it all. He finished half of it before the noodles came.

The dumplings were for him. They were his favorite food: comfort and heaven, meat folded up and encased in the pinched, doughy casing outside that was fried, golden and slightly burnt. There were few smells in the world that made him feel better.

The noodles were because of her. Because he knew regardless of the role she played in breaking his heart, he knew that he wouldn't be over her easily. Because Korra was Korra and every part of her, physically and...non-physically was still amazing, still made his heart beat faster and his pits sweat.

And they were to remember the best date he had ever had with the greatest girl ever. Slowly and mournfully slurped and eaten. Because of the memories, the sounds of them swallowing the green noodles. Because he remembered the tips whipping like snakes as they were eaten and splashing broth on her stuffed cheeks and dripping from those amazing, full, beautiful lips of her and into the porcelain bowl.

Those lips he watched lead her to her brother's, that told her to close her eyes, that told her to blush and not pull away, that made that tiny _smack_ he had wanted and imagined she'd make when he finally grew courageous and kissed her. Not once realizing that because Korra was a girl and liked The Fire Ferrets, she, like most of the others girls that liked The Fire Ferrets, liked his _brothe_—

That wasn't helping...

"How you doing there, Bo?" A thumbs-up in Narook's direction. His lifted cup, the signal for some more. "Okay, gotcha...pace yourself there."

He sniffled and let the tears fall more, his napkins and sleeve his tissue.

And the appetizer platter. Mako's favorite thing to order because he saw it as him being able to buy a bunch of food for less, always the responsible penny-pincher. Bolin didn't necessarily eat everything—he gnashed and/or inhaled the food between his molars and swallowed the last of it down with a gulp audible to his ears, his stomach burning and twisting with anger, and his brow heavy with sadness. It was the only way he could be angry, be physically aggressive towards Mako because, deep down when it absolutely counted, he could never truly beat up his brother-turned-mother-and-father.

Even though Mako knew how Bolin felt and still didn't pull away, but kissed Korra back. _Kissed. Korra. Back. _

Even though Mako was the one that said that dating a teammate wasn't a good idea or combination or whatever he said because Mako was so socially stunted and brooding that the only way he could communicate _period_ was to talk in Probending. And then broke his own rule by _kissing Korra back_.

Even though Mako had _Asami Sato_. Beautiful, generous, humble, and amazing Asami—probably the only girl in the entire world that could come close to comparing to Korra herself. The only girl that could make deciding between _Korra_ and another girl a coin toss.

Bolin's head was swimming. The only reason he wasn't crying anymore was because the feeling had been buried alive under the haze of his inebriation, but it was still alive and thudded painfully to claw its way up. He couldn't do anything about it. He was either going to stay here, or he was going to sleep in the park or gutter or _something_ because there was no way he was going home tonight. Not with Mako.

"Drinking more huangjin isn't going to make the feeling go away. It'll just numb it until tomorrow and then it'll hurt worse. You definitely need all your wits—you're in a match tomorrow, 'member?"

More...something. Another platter. More food for Pabu, too. And remember—all on Mako's tab. It was the least his brother could do for breaking his heart. The...the..._brother-betrayer_.

"...Okay. And soda to calm your stomach. You're gonna have one hangover."

The tabletop felt so good, so cool.

* * *

Eating One's Emotions._ Set after "Spirit of Competition."_

* * *

_Okay, definitely a T-rating going on ladies and gents. I love watching the "Spirit of Competition" (the sexual tension is ridiculous) and I have always kinda wondered what exactly did Bolin eat that all those bowls and plates were on the table. I love Bolin—he's a sweetheart._

_Huangjin is a particular type of alcohol native to China._

_R&R. _


	3. Twins

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_KyaxBumi_

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It was no secret amongst those closest to the Avatar family that Kya and Bumi acted a lot like their father when he was little. The twinkle or glint they got in their eyes sometimes was a bit too telling and brought back memories...

But Aang and Katara, Tenzin, the Air Acolytes, and the head of the White Lotus sentries (and sometimes, in extreme cases, Toph) knew how well they fed off each other. In spite the fact that two years separated them, they were practically twins. And it wasn't just because they looked pretty similar—because even though they really looked like people from their mother's side of the family, Kya's skin was bit darker from the time she spent outside and she was constantly changing her hair color—but in shared, rebellious, mischievous thoughts. And they were fully aware of this.

So, it was pretty hard for them to know if the reason they had decided to sneak off the island and head into Republic City was because the nineteen-year-old sentry that knowingly (and terribly) flirted with seventeen-year-old Kya sometimes had mentioned to her how he knew her favorite jazz group was playing at this real cool speakeasy and he wished he was able to take her, or if Bumi kept having to hear the guy complain to his friends about how he wished he could take his sister and decided that it sounded like a good idea.

Either way, Kya's favorite jazz _band_ was playing at a speakeasy, and apparently, she didn't have to pretend to be older to get inside, only find it. So, she was going—only not with that guy.

And Bumi thought that it sounded like fun; it sounded like an new type of adventure, a challenge. He hadn't had one in awhile. His eavesdropping actually enabled him to know where said speakeasy was and he could definitely pass for seventeen, so he was going, too. Tenzin was spending the weekend with Dad and the other Air Acolytes to make a sand mandala, so there was no other fun to be had.

And so, the two made arrangements to arrive at the docks separately the night of the show, when the moonlight was the brightest thing in the sky.

Kya thought her heart was going to climb out of her throat when she heard footsteps, but quickly calmed at seeing her younger brother's frame in the moonlight. "Get down!"She hissed. Her eyes rolled as he ducked slightly. "What _is_ that?" she whispered, pointing confusedly at the thin, black coil she saw resting on his shoulder. She had been crouching on the steps that led to the ferry's dock, her navy blue dress stretched tautly over her thighs and its hem bunched in her fist. Her free hand was moving in curves, bending the water to make sure the extra lifeboat she was "borrowing" didn't bob and hit against the stone wall too strongly. Two pairs of shoes, an old pair of slippers and her heels, were behind her.

He shrugged and then gave a wide, cocky grin like what he was carrying was no big deal. "Cables. Had to sneak over the wall somehow, and they were actually strong enough to actually get me over. " He barely crouched down, not wanting to mess up his own outfit, the dark blue dress shirt and black slacks and white handkerchief that peeked outside of his pocket—his fashion reflecting the fact that because he wasn't a bender but an inventor, and he could dress in whatever colors he wanted.

"How are you going to hide that?"

"I'm storing it inside the boat. The boat that we're sneaking out of, that one right there." He stared at her, or more specifically, her hair. "A wig?"

"Yeah. If I had actually gone back to brown for this, Mom would've been asking me a bunch of questions. Besides, I won't be noticed easily." It was true. Kya, inspired by Uncle Sokka's old stories about Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe, had dyed her hair accordingly. The white hairs on her head were officially the second most noticable thing walking around the island. (Tenzin's was the first.)

"True." He grabbed at his own hair, combing and smoothing the thick, tangled mess with his fingers and tied it back with a rubberband. "Okay. Let's go and try not caught."

After what had felt like forever, they had finally climbed into the boat and pushed off the dock, their eyes glued to the watch tower to better make sure they were going to get away with this.

Another fifteen minutes, and Kya had finally gotten the boat far way from where they could've been seen and bent the water at her full potential.

And after the last five minutes, the Waterbender had reached the other dock, where they were building the Probending Arena Dad liked to read about in curious wonder and their little brother criticized in short patience.

They ambled out, Kya dropping her dress hem down to reach the tops of her slippers. "Been meaning to ask. Is that Mom's dress?"

"I'm not answering that."

He chuckled. "Fair enough."

Their steps were bold and sure as they neared the shopping district and headed down a particular set of stairs and wove through small alleyways behind other restaurants until finally stopping at a thick metal door. And that was really the hardest part in getting to the speakeasy because the moment Kya threw her slippers to the side and put on her heels, and Bumi knocked on the door and gave the pair of eyes on the other side an expectant and impatient look of his own, the door opened and they walked inside.

The place was a lot like the places they accompanied their father to whenever he had a fancy meeting and knew his guest wasn't a vegetarian, except not as classy (although someone was trying with the wallpaper and ceilings covered in what was possibly likely fake gold leaf and dotted with hanging and low-lit chandeliers). Bumi immediately weaved his way through the bar, which was much more brightly-lit than the rest of the speakeasy and was filled with just about every kind of liquor they had ever heard of (and some they hadn't) that jutted out to greet them. And at the back wall, covered with what looked like stage curtains, was the show.

Bumi grabbed his older sister's hand and weaved them through the fringe crowd and the strong smells of food and sweet-smelling cigarettes towards a free stool at the bar counter. He climbed into the seat, got comfortable, and looked over at her. "Go on. I'll be here watching from not there." Besides, from where he was sitting, he could actually see the singer—she was cute.

Smirking, she did just that, dodging the guys that gripped their cups full of the booze that fell to the hardwood floor, the girls wearing perfume that clung to their clothes and skin heavily, and the couples that were pressed close together and moving, dancing, in tight circles. The group was sounding better than she had been imagining they'd be all week, the band playing one of her favorite records but more loosely, the cadence of the drum, guitar chords, and percussion notes slightly different than what she was used to hearing. And the singer took the front, dressed in a clingy, gold-sequined dress and really tall shoes, her hands gripping the mic stand. Her fishtail braid whipped behind her. She was at the Waterbender's favorite part, when she sang about how it was impossible that she was only here to serve her lover's needs, and Kya stood transfixed, watching the singer feel the words, the girl's eyes closed and her lipstick and eye-makeup dark in the light.

Until something—or someone—suddenly caught her eye and made her literally jump back in fear.

It didn't help that that someone noticed the movement and slowly flashed her a smile.

"Bumi!" She said tight-lipped as she made her way back to the bar and saw her brother saddled with a drink. "He's here!"

His eyebrow rose. "Who?"

"That guard that's always flirting with me!"

"That guy?"

"Yeah!"

His face dropped. "You're joking."

She flashed him her I'm-_Not_-Joking Look. "He saw me."

He cussed.

"Where? … Did he recognize you?"

"I don't know! I ran away to find you!"

The fifteen-year-old straightened up to survey the crowd. "He did—he's walking over here." And it was true, that guy was parting the thin gaps of bodies to make their way over to them. "Okay. Chill and um, just, um, roll with it? We're not the island, so he can't really do anything."

That piece of advice was entirely too calm for her to handle. "What?" She was baffled at his being so nonchalant.

"If we leave, he might get suspicious and he might try to follow you—you _know _that guy's kinda desperate. But seriously, if we stay, he can't do anything."

They were The Avatar's _children_—he could possibly do something! Her eyes narrowed at his glass. "Is that alcohol?"

"Is that really Mom's dress—her _favorite_, and really _expensive_ dress?"

"...That's not the same—"

"Excuse me." Brother and sister looked up to see the object of their horror standing in front of them, dressed in a white dress shirt, tie, and jet-black suit. It was definitely him, the same jawline, brown eyes, nose, ears, and haircut. "I was wondering if I could get you a drink?" He pointed to the bottles lined up behind the bartender and the mirror where they all could see each other.

Wide-eyed, she looked over at her brother, wondering why exactly they weren't being dragged back to Air Temple Island. It wasn't like they looked—

"Your hair." Bumi mouthed, pointing to his shoulder.

Her fingers touched the synthetic strands of her wig. Oh yeah...

"Just go."

She sighed. Apparently, somebody was going to have to be thinking clearly for the both of them.

"Okay. Sure, um, you can just choose for me—as long as it isn't too strong."

Drink clenched in hand, she allowed him to guide her towards the stage again. The crowd had already applauded the end of the first song and the band was already moving on to the next one, the opening going on a bit longer than usual as the singer took a few sips of water and fanned herself. She made a little comment about wishing she could feel a vent and a few people chuckled while one whistled. But eventually, her voice rang out, scatting in time to the saxophone.

Most of the people around them were either focused on the stage or dancing around in circles again. She jumped up when she felt fingertips pressed on her back, but didn't turn to look at him. He was pretty close now and she needed to think of a plan that got her away from him and didn't let him get caught.

"Sorry about that...Somebody just bumped into me...Your drink didn't spill though, right?"

"No."

"Okay, great...because you look really nice." He smiled, trying to save the moment.

"Thanks." Apparently, he wasn't so terrible at flirting outside of his job. At least he was direct...She took a swig of her drink, tasting the liquor and avoiding conversation and getting bumped into a couple comprised of a guy that was overconfident yet sloppy in his dance and a girl tipsy enough not to care about where she was flailing.

"Do you want to dance?"

"Sure." He was just tall enough that she wasn't going to be face-to-face with him exactly, just have her ear against the lapels of his suit jacket, the drink in her in the air beside his shoulder. They began a tight, yet fluid, sway, rotating in a circle.

He was a really good dancer apparently. And he smelled really nice.

The song came to its end, the lead singer clapping her hands towards the bands.

He finished applauding and turned to her. "They're great, right?"

"Yeah."

"So are you."

"...Thanks."

"...So, do you come to shows here a lot?"

"No. This is my first time."

"I come here sometimes, but usually not on this night. I can't because of work."

"Oh...where?"

"Uh, a restaurant on the other side of the district. Cooking."

What? "Really? Every Friday?"

"Yeah, but I had to call out tonight—I love this band."

_'Band'?...Not 'group'?_

She pulled back and stared at him, her face twisted in confusion. It was the same guy—she saw him all the time, so why was he coming up with this backstory? "...What is this?"

"Uh, what do you mean?" He looked at her half-full glass. "The drink?"

"No. Not the drink. This story about you being a cook?"

"...I _am_ a cook."

"No, you're not; you're a sentry that works on Air Temple Island. You try to flirt with me all the time." She stepped back now, bumping into a group of girls standing around and not really caring about the dirty looks she was receiving from them.

"No, I work at The Last Dragon and I have never seen you before. Are you a lightweight or something?"

"No, I'm.." Her face started blazing, not sure if of the confusing situation and embarrassed. "You're Lin."

He suddenly started laughing as if something dawned on him. ""Lin? No, I'm Ji. Lin's my brother."

"Brother?"

"We're twins."

Twins? Twins?

"We gotta go." That was Bumi brushing past the thinning crowd and coming up to his sister and the sentry guard. "Kya, seriously—we gotta go."

"Kya? From...the island? ...You're, you two are..."

"Go? Why?"

"BY ORDER OF THE REPUBLIC CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU ARE ALL UNDER ARREST FOR TRESPASSING, UNLAWFUL GATHERING IN A PLACE OF BUSINESS AFTERHOURS, AND THE SELLING OF LIQUOR WITHOUT A LICENSE!"

The crowd immediately began to disburse, some people trying to fight their way outside, others running around in a panic, and a few more trying to hide. Kya and Bumi were part of the group that did the last one.

"What are we gonna do?"

Two pairs of blue eyes scanned the place. Bumi saw the police start to file inside, leaving the door unguarded, and Kya saw a few drinks fall. Her hand swiped, bending the water right where a few officers were running. She tried not to cringe as she saw them slip and fall—after all, she knew a lot of people from the department.

Bumi grabbed at his sister's hand and pulled. "Let's go." Ducking and slipping through the bodies mashing into them, he maneuvered them towards the front, around the corner they came, down the alley...and into the very people they were trying to avoid.

They squinted at the light being trained on their faces.

"Freeze!"

They tried staring around them to see another opening they could use. There weren't any.

"Freeze!"

They had gotten caught red-handed in a lot of things to know that they were pretty much trapped at this point. They gave each other one of their looks and pretty much knew that escape was impossible.

"At least they don't know who we are yet." Bumi said. His sister gave no reply, just ran her hand through her hair.

"By order of the Republic City Police Department...wait a minute." The voice of whomever was holding the loudspeaker suddenly turned it off and used his own voice. "Kya? Bumi?" A voice called out to them.

The older sibling tried to stare past the light, trying to figure out how they had been found out, but suddenly her eyes widened in horror at what she saw: a thick lock of her own hair giving them away.

She stared at the white curl and groaned. "FU—"

Unlike everyone else who got caught, they didn't have to stand in a cell. Oh no, they had the privilege of waiting in a confession room, listening for word to be sent to Air Temple Island, and imagining the various ways their mom was going to skin them alive.

They didn't really spend a lot of time talking about what they would or wouldn't say when she arrived or discussing how "unfair" it was that they were both scheduled for 30 hours of community service. It was what came with being the rambunctious kids of the family for so long: they did what they did, they either got away with it or got in trouble, and reaped the benefits of the experience or the punishment in getting caught.

"She's going to kill you when she finds out you were drinking."

Bumi rolled his eyes. "That wasn't alcohol—it was club soda. When you came up to me all freaked out, I stayed cool because it was easier to be calm than freak out and bring attention to ourselves. Besides, you looked really cozy with that guard."

"It wasn't him. It was his brother. They're twins."

"Twins?"

She nodded, the smile already pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"Is he as bad as flirting with you as the one we know?"

Her laugh was more of an outburst. "No...no, I don't think so."

* * *

Twins.

* * *

_I hope we meet Kya and Bumi at one point because I think they sound hilarious. Going off the idea that they're more rambunctious than their younger brother, I really wanted them and their personalities to play off one another. Enjoy._


	4. Numbers

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Mako_

* * *

_You're an orphan and have been for two years. You're ten now._

_And you have a little brother. He's eight. He's happy and can see happiness everywhere. And you love him and you have to take care of him._

_When your parents were...killed...and, and you and your brother watched them be buried and the social people told you that you couldn't stay at your house anymore, you went to where you knew they had kept their money and took it. And you thanked their spirits and you told them that you'd protect your brother forever._

_And when you overheard the orphanage people say that there were people interested in adopting him and different people interested in adopting you, and you decided that you two had to run away, you went where you knew they had kept your money and more money and you took it, extra blankets, and the clothes they gave you before leaving._

_That money has kept you fed and when your brother needed new shoes and you needed cough medicine, it was there. Six months pass and you still have a lot because you started going to the shopping district at night and looking through the trash for the food they didn't sell that day. And when he says he found that one place had an open window and you could get food from inside the kitchen there, you did that too, even though you cried about it later because to you, it meant that he wasn't going to be as happy as he was before and you were taking care of him wrong. _

_You decide that because you love him and you have to take care of him, you got a job—jobs. Things that hurt and make you dirty for eight hours and, you felt, smelly, even though you always scoop up pond water from the park at night to make yourself clean._

_It's been two years now. Winter's about to start. But the places you worked for before won't hire kids anymore because the police came by and told them that they could get in trouble. But that money you had in the beginning is almost gone and your brother is almost nine and you're almost eleven, and the two of you need food, clothes, and stuff—not a lot of stuff, stuff that everybody needs. And he's not going back to the orphanage—he's staying with you because it was the last thing you promised to your parents and you're going to keep your promise. _

_And one day, after you and your brother spend the night in an abandoned building, huddled with one another for warmth, you decide to try again at the fishing docks. Winter is coming. But on your way there, you see a Satomobile, a really nice blue one, and kids as dirty as you are standing around it. And a big guy, dressed nice with graying temples, is giving them money._

_Your brother runs there and comes back with enough money to keep you fed for another week. Not because your brother did anything, but simply because he ran up and the guy was giving it out. You ask the other kids who that was and one of them tells you like you're stupid:_

_Lightening Bolt Zolt. Leader of The Triple Threat Triads._

_You and your brother spend the night in another abandoned building eating dumplings—it was a treat because he had been a really big help that day. And he goes to sleep, happy for the first time in a long time, but you sit up and you think. Just because Lightening Bolt Zolt was there that day and he gave out money doesn't mean he'll be there next time or he'd give money all the time. People aren't that nice and you know that—you got the memories, burn marks, bruises, and scratches because of it. You need to find another way, and so you spend the night calculating, trying to find that other way._

_You decide to find Lightening Bolt Zolt. You ask around and you're led to where The Triple Threats call their headquarters. You sit there for almost six hours until the evening when you see his Satomobile coming up. And then you jump out and say his name._

_He looks at you and thinks he knows what you want. He gives you money and you take it, you're not stupid, but you tell him that that's not what you really wanted._

"_Oh yeah? And what do you want that you'll think I'll give ya exactly?"_

_A job._

_He laughs. And then tries to move around you because you're not that important and can't offer him anything, but you grab at him to let him you're serious. You want a job._

_He stares at you and then snaps his fingers. And his driver, a fat guy, maybe an Earthbender, comes out and tries to pull you off of him. And you flail and you feel yourself being lifted off the ground and you grab at that big guy's shirt and you make fire and burn it so he'll drop you. And he does. And he wants to hurt you really bad now because you ruined his new shirt, but you jump and punch and make more fire stream out of your hands and you bend it at him. He is an Earthbender, but you're a Firebender and you make more fire and he can't touch you._

_"Rui, fall back," and the big guy listens. Lightening Bolt Zolt looks at you, sees your potential. "Okay. You want a job, you can have one. But you have to prove yourself. So let me give you a test. If you pass it in one week, I'll give you a job. And cuz I like you already, I'll even let you ask me a question before then—that is, if you find me."_

_He gives you a series of numbers, tells you not to write them down. Then makes you repeat them for him._

_34 500 73 4 10_

"_If you get there, Ring the doorbell fast—bzzt bzzt, real quick. You walk in, go to the door, won't get any shit. But in case you do, say this: Cherry."_

_You go back to your little brother with dumplings because he's been waiting for you without knowing where you are for a long time and it's too late to go looking in dumpsters. You stay up and you repeat the number to yourself. You have to get somewhere with this number—so, it can't be a phone number. But there isn't an address that long, and there're spaces._

_You spend three days walking around the city, trying to figure things out. You spend two more days staking out the headquarters again but he never shows up. The next day, the sixth day, is much more of the same and so you decide that you're never gonna be able to figure you out, and admitting that defeat hurts too much...but not as much as when your little brother comes to you expecting dumplings again and you have to tell him that you're going to the district instead. _

_The food from The Last Dragon is good, enough to keep your stomachs from growling, but not the sting of disappointment you feel. You decide to head back to the packing district by crossing in front of the restaurant because you're going across town and at least it will look nice, when you hear his voice. You run faster, almost leave your brother behind._

_He's laughing. He's going back into his Satomobile, one foot inside and crouching down, but then pauses. "Anything you want..." He's talking to someone inside. "Okay. And I'll meet you later. Rui, we're heading over to Province 34." He steps inside and closes the door._

_Province 34? _

_34_

_You realize that what Lightening Bolt Zolt told you were a set of directions. And you stand there, trying to figure out if it's better to go now or later, if you should take your little brother. And he knows that something is going on because you've never looked so thunderstruck before and maybe it's because you're so happy and you have a lead that you decide to drag him with you._

_Twenty blocks, long enough to make that blister you had on your foot from the first three days hurt and you worry about your little brother, but he's not complaining. He is able to keep up with you, but he wants to know what's going on and you tell him because it's easier. You warn him that when you get there, he's going to have to be big and brave because no one is going to hurt him, not while you're around—but he needs to promise to stay outside of wherever they're going. And you promise him that from now on, you'll be able to take care of him better. _

_He promises._

_Province 34, a new district they made last year, the 500th block of Republic City. Building no. 73, a skyscraper from the looks outside, but an apartment lobby inside on the other side of a glass wall and an empty lobby desk. The 4th floor, where the apartments actually are, and Apartment 10._

_You ring the button under the tiny gold number twice. And a voice comes over the speaker asking what you want, and you say the word you're supposed to: "Cherry."_

_And the door opens and you tell your brother to sit on one of the comfy lobby chairs, but warn him that he can't sleep in case someone comes. He has to hide...there, behind another couch. He nods._

_You head to the elevators and press buttons and go up to the fourth floor and walk over black carpets to a black-painted door with the number 10 on it and you knock._

_A little old lady peeks out, face like a dried, candied peach, and rasps to ask you what do you want, who sent you, if you know how late it is, and how she hates that you all come at every time at the night, that they had been told not to come after midnight. It's not midnight yet, but you don't correct her—you were taught better. And you let her finish, but the moment she lets you speak, you say "Cherry" again._

_And she goes to get Cherry, because she needs to be talking to her about this, but lets you come inside. And the place you come into is nice. You haven't been inside a place where people who have money live for so long, and it's so nice that you don't want to sit down; you're too dirty for this place. And the lady's talking and a voice answers her and footsteps come and you look over to see a figure in a black pair of panties and a robe and nothing else, bare breasts and pinkish nipples, that are quickly covered. The robe is patterned with bits of fruit. And you can't even pretend that you didn't see all of that, but you steel your jaw and look up anyway._

"_Holy Tui! You made it sound like he was Rui or something." She's embarrassed and angry._

_It's a girl, maybe five or six years older than you. She's too young to be Lightening Bolt Zolt's wife and you figure that if she had been, he would've been here too. Moon-faced but with high cheekbones and almond shaped eyes. You realize that it's probably her face that makes Lightening Bolt Zolt call her "Cherry". She's wearing makeup and her hair is swept over the side. She's really pretty._

"_Zolt sent you." She walks up to you, gently grabs your chin, and stares at you like she's a doctor, asks for your name and nods at your answer. "That's a pretty strong-sounding name. You're a Firebender." And she says that you're a very cute Firebender and that she likes Firebenders, and then half-yells for the lady, Auntie, to call Zolt for her. "You look like you're hungry. Are you hungry?"_

_You are. _

"_Okay, sit down." She points at the counter that separates the living room from the kitchen, where there are stools. "It's okay—sit down." You listen to her. She walks over to her icebox. "I have leftovers aaannnndd curry. You want curry?" She's holding a large pot patterned with flowers._

_You do. But your little brother is downstairs and needs curry. Can he have some?_

"_Of course he can. Go get him."_

_You do. He comes in and takes her up on her offer for a seat, telling her "T__hank you" just like how your mom taught the two of you and you remind him from time to time._

_Cherry comes with two large bowls of rice and curry and hands your brother his food immediately. She pauses to give you yours, asks you what 235 times 50 is. You can't answer immediately. She places your food down and shuffles around, give you a small piece of paper and a pen. And after a minute you say 11,750. Tells you to take half of that and divide it by 10. _

_5,875. _

_587.50. _

"_Correct. Now get rid of the paper. Don't hide it in your pocket and don't throw it away." _

_Your little brother watches the exchange, trying to figure out what you're supposed to do with the paper if you can't throw it or hide it._

_You look at it for a second. And then you rip the part where you did the math and eat it, chewing the pulp down._

_She smiles, impressed. "I thought you'd burn it. Almost everyone else does." She hands you your bowl. And maybe because it was the first home-cooked thing you've had in two years, you eat it. It's the best thing you've ever had._

_Keys jingle on the other side of the door and with a sweep, you're staring in the face of Lightening Bolt Zolt. And he's smiling because you've passed his test and he can use you. He looks at your brother and you tell him that you'll be the only one who does anything for him._

_He nods, looks at Cherry. And Cherry walks over and kisses him deeply even though you and your little brother are standing right there. And his hands go into her robe and below her waist and disappear for a little bit. She smiles and squirms a bit, tells him to stop because you and your little brother are right there. His fingers come out again. He licks them. He finally looks over at you. "So?"_

_She looks over at you too. "He's good with numbers. _

"_I can tell. He figured this out, didn't he?"_

"_Yeah. He needed paper, but it didn't take him too long to figure the problems out. I told him to get rid of the paper. He ate it."_

_"He did."_

_"Yeah...I say yes."_

"_Okay." To you, "Well, you heard her! I trust Cherry when it comes to judging kids and she likes you. Next week, you're going to show up at the racetrack and you're going to figure out my math for a few people. The only thing you have to do is remember who placed what and who gets what. Maybe sometimes you'll have to go around the city and give people their money—good friends of mine." He looked over at your little brother. "Whatever's left at the end of the night, you'll get twenty-five percent. That's enough._

"_You'll stay here the night and be good boys for Cherry. She'll take you shopping tomorrow—it's up to her if you have to pay her back. Nuttin in this life is free." His arm goes around Cherry's waist and you watch them walk to the back. His other hand has disappeared into the flaps of her robe again. "__Have a good night, boys." _

_Auntie comes with washcloths and soap, and for an hour she gets you ready for bed, scrubbing you and your little brother clean, making sure you brush your teeth, dresses you in shirts that belong to Cherry, you can just tell, and puts a blanket on the two of you._

_And your brother is already asleep._

_And you fall asleep too, dreaming of numbers._

* * *

Numbers

* * *

_This was inspired from the park scene in "The Revelation" when Mako admits working for The Triple Threats. Came to me last night. I don't write in second-person POV ever, so this was new and I really liked doing it, so maybe this won't be the last time you see me try this out. _


	5. Chocolate Milk

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Meelo_

* * *

Meelo liked the Bending Brothers. He didn't like being the only guy all the time and even though Korra and Asami meant there were still _more_ girls, he liked that there were boys now.

And Bolin was awesome! He was funny, he did stuff with him. Like picked worms and Earthbended him in the air and caught him like, fifty times. (That was the longest out of anybody!)

But Mako was cool. He didn't say a lot and exercised funny, punching his shadow on the ground (he called it "shadowboxing"). But he was friendly and called Meelo "Kid" in a cool way, like Uncle Bumi did, and promised to teach him how to move like him one day.

Meelo liked Mako.

Ikki said that Korra liked Mako, even though Mako kissed Asami a lot (which was about the only yucky thing Mako did, but it wasn't unforgivable because Meelo knew it was a good thing when Daddy kissed Mommy or when Mommy kissed Daddy—or at least, Jinora had said so once when he had said it was nasty).

But Meelo knew Mako liked Korra. Or, at least, he thought so. He looked at her like Daddy looked at Mommy a lot. But he couldn't be sure.

That's why he was playing "Blue Spirit" in the bushes. Usually, he did this when he wanted to scare Jinora and Ikki or pretend that he was saving Mommy from the evil guys (the Air Acolytes) that kept her in their fortress (the house), but this was different. And it was boring for a minute cuz he had to watch Korra practice airbending, but soon Mako came. And then they started talking. And then fighting.

Meelo liked Mako and Korra together. Asami was nice, but for this situation (Daddy said that a lot now, "but for this situation"), Korra was better for a lot of reasons. Meelo couldn't really explain it. They weren't the same, but somehow, that wasn't bad or yucky.

Korra was like...chocolate. Mommy gave him chocolate sometimes, so he knew what chocolate was like. It was sweet and made him want to do everything all the time until he was tired—but that was never until dinner time. And whenever Mommy had some and gave him a tiny, tiny piece, it made him happy, like how Korra made him happy when the two of them had a screaming contest.

And Mako was like milk... Not like regular milk because that was boring, but like what happened to milk when Mommy put it in her tea. It looked sandy-colored and Mommy always looked happy and he had seen her happy earlier when Mako had helped her serve everybody lunch today.

Chocolate...and milk.

Chocolate milk!

Yeah!

Mako and Korra were chocolate milk and that was good because _everybody_ likes chocolate milk. Chocolate and milk were different from one another, and they tasted good by themselves, but even better together.

He would've ran and told somebody this, but Korra and Mako were still fighting. NO, they had stopped fighting and now they were talking again about something—he didn't know; he hadn't been listening 'til now—except they were getting really close.

Really close.

They looked like they were going to eat each other's faces off, but he knew that they were probably going to kiss. (And because it wasn't Mommy and Daddy doing it, it was nasty.) He squirmed from his hiding place, back to being the Blue Spirit.

Their faces were like, _really_ close, when Mako suddenly broke off.

"I'm not doing that again." He stepped back, shaking his head. His hand ran through his head really cool. "Why do you keep doing that?"

Korra backed up too, surprised, but then she started yelling. "It's not my fault that you keep doing it! Stop blaming me. _You_ keep finding _me_; just now, _you_ got close to _me_. If you keep wanting to kiss me, then maybe it's not as complicated as you think it is!"

"...Are you serious?"

"Am I laughing?"

He screamed funny and clenched his fingers. "...HOLY TUI AND LA, KORRA—YOU'RE CRAZY!"

"AND _YOU'RE_ IN DENIAL!"

Meelo jumped out of the bushes. "You're in denial!" He yelled, throwing off his mask.

"Whoa! Meelo, were you in the bushes this entire time?" Korra asked. She sounded just like Mommy did that one time when Meelo had been playing Hide-and-Seek in Oogi's stable.

"Yeah!" He made an air scooter and spun around them; their eyes got bigger as they followed his movement. "Guess what? You and Mako are like chocolate milk."

"...Chocolate milk?" Mako asked.

"Yeah. You're different, but you guys are good together. And if you mixed together, you'd be chocolate milk!" His scooter disappeared, but his hands made an air ball instead, the wind materializing in his tiny palms.

Korra's face was funny when it turned red. "...What? You think we're like..._what?_"

"Chocolate milk! You're chocolate and Mako is the milk. Chocolate milk!"

They both were really red. "Oh no." Mako said, his head shaking in horror.

Meelo had a better word. "HolyTuiandLa!"

"Oh no. No. No no no..." Mako looked around for Korra, but she was already leaving, her wolftail shaking furiously. "Wait, where are you going? He can't, he can't be walking around saying that! His dad'll kill me!"

She turned back to them. "Nope." Her hands made an 'X'. "That is not me. He heard _you_ say that; _you_ taught him that—_you_ teach him not to say it." She walked away, her head shaking again.

Mako still looked funny. And it was funny because Mako was so cool, but he looked like one of Unkkie Sokka's paintings.

* * *

Chocolate Milk

* * *

_Meelo is funny. I'm Makorra-stupid and I feel like it's so simple that even Meelo'd get it. I thought this was a good way of just being more light-hearted after all the other oneshots I've written thus far. _

_The use of the Blue Spirit as a game for Meelo is just funny. I think it's perfect for him and it'd make sense if someone told him the story._

_On another note...in a few hours of publishing the dirty version of "Korra's Theory", I've gotten a lot of likes. Thanks and just know...I see y'all..._


	6. Father and Son

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_TenzinxKorra_

* * *

Tenzin walked through the door to find that dinner hadn't been served yet. Everybody was there in the meeting room, dressed appropriately and in their best for the occasion, shadows from the fire light and the candlelights dancing across their faces. Uncle Sokka and Aunt Suki; the ex-Fire Lord; (Auntie) Toph; Kya and Bumi. It was almost like a reunion, but it was one of the worst reasons they could have possibly decided to get together, made even bleaker by the idea that it was probably the last time most of them would be in the same room together.

Kya got out of her seat and walked over to him first, wrapped her arms around him. She looked pretty as always but drained, and he wasn't sure if that was because of her travels or the occasion. "How's Pema?" She murmured.

"She's doing well. She sends her love." His knees buckled a bit as he felt a slap on his back from his brother. They exchange smiles between them and all three stand together as a family again, Waterbender, non-bender, Airbender. Bumi traveled to see them a lot as his siblings' engagements with politics made it practically impossible to get away from Republic City and the Northern Water Tribe (they were both workaholics); they hadn't all been in the same room since...

"...Where's mother?"

"She's...somewhere taking care of something." Her hand made an off-hand motion, the sweeping arc meaning that their exact whereabouts in The White Lotus' fortress were just as obscure to his sister as layout of the place itself.

"Yeah. It went pretty silent ten minutes before you showed up, so we figure it took Mom about five minutes do what the other sentries have been trying to do for an hour." Bumi chuckled and everyone else around them did the same.

Tenzin didn't like the words; what they all found to be funny seemed to be an ominous sign to him. It reminded him of the thoughts that had traveled with him atop BaoBao's back from Republic City to the South Pole. The idea of his father in another body, another person—now unrecognizable from the way his youngest son remembered and saw his father in his head, in the pictures that were on the wall.

"What's she like? Is she like him?" He sat in a chair, one of two free ones closest to the head of the table where he knew his mother would be sitting.

Asking that was immediately like knowing who had shown up first and actually seen her, the little girl this was all for. Auntie Toph and Uncle Zuko, their heads shaking slightly, hadn't. Uncle Sokka had, but his smile lacked the light-heartedness it usually had; Aunt Suki seemed to wear a half-pained expression, the faraway, downcast eyes and traces of a sad smile behind a hand.

Toph laughed, her clouded eyes tracking their moves as elder sister led little brother to a chair. "I've heard she's nothing like Twinkle Toes—at least that's what the masters say. We all definitely heard her earlier. She's loud. I don't think the masters like that so much. I like her."

"She doesn't seem bad. Your aunt and I came this afternoon. Saw her being led inside for a nap by Katara. A hoppy little thing—and clumsy. She, she," he chuckled and laughed as he looked over at his wife, "what did she do?"

His aunt smiled, shook her head slightly, the hair ornaments in her hair tinkling. The sound was full in his ears. "She runs ahead of one of the masters, the one that combs his ponytail up to hide his bald spot. She runs ahead of him and trips and we can hear the sound she makes. But then she pops up and is crawling up out of the snow—like nothing ever happened. She looked like an otter penguin."

"It reminded me of the first time your dad showed your mom and me his air scooter. We had just left the South Pole and had stopped in this field where all these statues were—your dad was still trying to see the world in between getting to the Northern Water Tribe. So, anyway. He does it, he gets the ball made and puts his foot on it. And we're already impressed, and your mom starts grinning when it, it," his finger pointed to the floor and spun in a circle rapidly, "starts running around in a circle, but there are statues around, and he—he slams into one of them and falls _flat_ on his back." Sokka's chuckling now. "And he made this sound—_uhh._" His laughter is one that comes from the belly and grows. _"Uhh._"

Everyone else, his dad's old friends, all start making the sound, exaggerating the grunt that left his father's mouth a long time ago. His older siblings laugh, but Tenzin can't find it.

He knew it would be like this. Pema tried to talk to him about it could be like this. She knew there was not a day or moment that went by when he hadn't thought about the second the new Avatar would be found and he would be told so. When he would have to meet the new person, his father soul lived in now. He gently declined her offer to talk about it because he was a smart man and knew that things between him and his father wouldn't be the same with the new Avatar. But he had a responsibility and a promise to fulfill.

"_I have to say I really liked the pattern I put on you." They had been sitting in relative silence when the younger Airbender felt his father's hand on his head. His wedding ceremony was two days away, but Tenzin was already in the tent the Air Acolytes had made for the occasion, still wearing all the scarves they'd given him. __The two of them had separated from the rest of the group for the evening, walking down the path that led to the bench where they could see the sunset and hear the wind better, the side where his dad's statue, the one the city gave him in his honor, stood. "__Don't get me wrong—I love the pattern Gyatso put on me, but the one I put on you from a long time ago is better."_

"_You think so." He chuckled._

"_I do. Maybe I feel that way because it's still blue. It seems like you just got it yesterday." He smiled and looked out into the sea. "...And now you're going to be married. Pema is amazing; you know that in spite how you two came to be, I think so."_

"_I do. I know that things with her and I will become different little by little, but that's not a bad thing. It's not a bad change—being a husband, children." _

_His dad smiled, and in spite the fact that they were both almost the same height and his father was much older than he with wrinkles and gray hairs on his chin, he looked young. He always did when he smiled. "Change is always different, but not always bad. I've seen it my entire life—the first half and the second half now. Our element is a catalyst for change, and you and I as benders deal with that change. We don't make those changes without thought, but we adjust."_

_Tenzin smiled at hearing the familiar lecture, but the grin on his face drooped to something somber. They were talking about change, but not specifically about changes that came with marriage anymore he didn't think. _

"_Roku. His spirit has been visiting me in my meditations and dreams lately. We sit and talk, but I don't hear the conversation—I'm younger than what I am now, but not a child. I look like that," he pointed to his stone image. His head shook; he wasn't a big fan of the size of his effigy. _

"_I believe he's telling me of change...Tenzin, I, as the Avatar, am about to change."_

"_What?" Tenzin stood. "That can't be true. You're healthy; you're standing here."_

"_I know that I'm not too much of a bent old man, Tenzin," the older man chuckled, "or sick or senile. I'm one hundred and sixty-six years old. I'm older than what I should be, older than any other Avatar before me, and have accomplished what I was supposed to do and more: restored balance, married a beautiful woman, created a city with one of my best friends, and had three talented children. Two have gone on to be politicians and one is an inventor. The Airbender in me has adjusted to a lot of changes the other elements have led me to make, and now as the world itself continues, my spirit now realizes that it has to change."_

_Tenzin looked at him, tears falling from his face. He knew his father was older than what he looked like, but he shook his head. He wasn't ready to have this conversation; he was getting married in two days for Spirits' sake! He was supposed to be happy. "Why are you telling me this?"_

"_Because your mother knows and agrees with me that it is important that you know before Kya and Bumi." Aang stood, but didn't reach out for his son immediately; he knew it wouldn't be welcomed. "Because you hold my legacy the most—my element. And when the next Avatar is found, it will be up to you to teach him or her Airbending. Everything I've taught you; things that you have adjusted to suit your learning and style—the way you move your hands and feet; adjustments you'll have to make when teaching them. That is your responsibility. It always has been, Tenzin."_

"_...I know." He felt his father hug him. "I promise I will teach you everything you taught me."_

_His father chuckled. "That is a strange concept...and now that I think about it, that's a lot of pressure for you and the next me. If I had had to teach Gyatso at your age, I don't think he may have turned out well. I'm happy I did so well with you." His father's palm was on his head again and Tenzin watch as his free hand touched his own gray arrow. "Just know that while the way you know me will change, some things about me won't. There will always be a part of my soul that will be the same, that will reach out to you."_

"She doesn't know Airbending." Zuko said now as some of the conversation and memories tapered off. "The masters say that she can do everything except that. And that's surprising to me because Aang _was_ airbending. I would think that he would make sure that part of him would show." He looked up at his best friend's children. "Oh...I'm sorry."

Tenzin's heart clenched. "No, don't be, Uncle Zuko." He heard Kya say.

Zuko sighed. "...But maybe that's good. Your father was playful, but not showy."

Bumi laughed. "He _did_ always hate that statue of his."

The ex-Fire Lord was about to say something, but was cut off when the door opened and in walked his mother hand-in-hand with her. The new Avatar. "Everyone, this is Korra. Korra..." His mother stooped down to talk to her at eye level, "these are old friends and family of yours. Remember what I told you: _you_ haven't met them before, but the Avatar part of you has and they like you and love you already."

The little girl nodded, slipped her hand out and ran up to the group, stopping at Bumi and Zuko's feet. Her hands sat on her hips and her feet were shoulder-width apart. Her face was as serious as it could be, the bottom lip poking out. "Hi! My name is Korra and I'm the new Avatar!"

She _is_ loud.

"I _do_ like her. She's confident." Toph says. "I'm Toph."

The tough face she has gave way to a smile. She smiled _big_. She's still got some baby fat on her, and it showed: her cheeks were as big as dumplings and her stomach poked out in her pose. The clothing she wore, the thick dress with fur on the collar and hem and trousers were purple. Home-made. The way her feet stand show the progress she's made in her training. They couldn't do airbending of course and it shows; she isn't light on her feet. Tenzin's hand moved subtly to make air around her to see if she can hear it.

She can't.

Who _was_ this little girl? Where was his father inside her?

"And I'm Aunt Suki and this is Uncle Sokka." His uncle, chin cradled in the crook of his index and thumb, nods and smiles. He approved. "What took you so long to get out of here?" Aunt Suki asked playfully.

"Yeah." Bumi crouched over, his elbows rested on his knees. "What took a squirt like you so long? We've been waiting for you for forever."

She pulled at her dress. "My clothes. And my hair." She bent her head and pointed to her brown hair. There was a side plait along her hairline that led to the bun sitting on top of her head.

"The masters had a dress for her, and wanted her to wear it, but Korra insisted on the one she's wearing now. It's very important to her and she wanted to look special tonight."

She nodded. "My mommy made it for me special. I can run in it."

"And it looks very pretty on you." Bumi said. Kya beside him nodded and agreed.

"Thank you...Want me to show you what I can do?"

"Why don't we eat first, Korra?" Katara asks her.

She pouted a little, unhappy at not being able to show her skills, but she already agreeing. It's obvious that the little girl was already attached to his mother, and his mom was the same way with her.

"No, no. Mom, c'mon—let her show something." Bumi said. Tenzin watches as the rest of them, his sister and father's old friends, agree. They like her already—they _all_ like her already. His older brother handed her his cup of water. "Go ahead, Squirt."

She backed up and placed the cup on the floor. She put her hands up and made them rise, the water following her command, bending into a thin rope above her head and lengthening vertically. She spinned around confidently and the water danced around her, once, twice, three times before going back into the cup. Most of them clapped and she bowed deeply before lifting her right hand up again. Flames grew and burst in the air before disappearing.

Zuko clapped loudly. "Very nice."

"Thank you...I don't have any earth."

"Then that's the end for now, Korra. Let's get you seated. I'm sure the masters have dinner ready. Remember? Your stomach was growling earlier."

"Dinner! Yes!" She balled her fist and yanked her elbow back and then ran back to Katara, putting her hand back in hers again. The two walked around the table and Katara released her hand to pull out the chair beside him. There's a blue seat in it, a booster seat. The little girl climbed into it, clicking the belt and waiting for dinner.

"I need to go check on the food. Tenzin, please get her ready."

Tenzin looked at his mother suspiciously; he knew what she was trying to do. But, he couldn't disagree—responsibilities, promises. He took out her napkin and tied it around her neck—she looked like she was a messy eater. He placed his own napkin in his lap and stared at the people around him, listening to the murmur they make as they get ready for the food.

She's stared at him interestedly. "Who are you?"

"I am Master Tenzin. I'm Master Katara's son and I live in Republic City."

"Master Tenzin," she nodded and repeated his name to herself. She was making an effort to remember the names of the people who had spent so much time giving her praise. "You have..." She touched her shoulders.

"A cape. It is part of the Airbender style of dress. I can feel the wind this way."

Her blue eyes lit up as she turned back to her plate. She nodded again, and he knew that she now knew him as an Airbender, her teacher.

The food arrived and at his mother's insistence, he served her. And she was easy to serve—a lot of that, some of that, yes please, none of that because she doesn't know what it is, and yuck, no, no sea prunes. "Thank you." She picked up her chopsticks and began to dig into some of her food.

"You're welcome." He turned back to serve himself and got ready to eat, but then felt a tug on his cape. He turned his head and mouth away from his food. She was staring at him again. "Yes?"

She beckoned him closer and neared his ear. For all of her loudness, there was something she'd found that she wanted to say privately to him. He tried to meet her halfway, stooping down a little.

"I like your arrow. It's pretty and cool."

And with that said, she touched it.

He stared at her wide-eyed and looked around to see if anyone has noticed. They all have. His mother looked like she was about to cry. His eyes looked at her, Korra, again.

And her eyes held traces of something that didn't belong to her personality. Wisdom. Familiarity—true familiarity. A knowing, private and established only to them, even though he had never met _her _before then.

Her hand moved to touch her own forehead and she nodded again. "It's pretty and cool...I like blue."

He smiles as he remembers. "...Thank you."

* * *

Father and Son

* * *

_This came to me this morning. I read a lot of TenzinxKorra-centric work and a lot of it always seem to have her having to prove her legitimacy to Tenzin. I like them so I tried one myself. I miss a lot of the original characters, so I wanted to bring them back for this oneshot. Sokka's story about the air scooter comes from the opening sequence of The Last Airbender. No matter how many times I see Aang slam into that statue, I laugh. _

_My idea in creating little Korra was to have her in the fortress for awhile, and I tried to make that show with her interactions with Katara (who has obviously been enforcing her manners, "Thank you" and stuff)._

_The idea of the scarves for Tenzin's wedding comes from a little bit—tiny-reading I did on Tibetan weddings._


	7. Tunnel Vision

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Asami_

* * *

Asami had this thing she did whenever she faced a problem that she couldn't find the solution to: go to the track, suit up, and drive—for as long as it took or until management tapped into her radio and told her she had to come in. Sometimes it took until twilight; sometimes it took days. It wasn't just because driving was her love and she could stay in a metal box that had an engine humming inside of it forever.

It was because of tunnel vision, that moment when things in her peripheral vision blurred and faded away, and the wind pushed at her face making her nose run a little and her lips chap. It was because there, her problems took form as a beast or a monster and she could race it and figure out ways of cutting it off and beating it, only stopping when she felt like she had won, had found the finish line, the solution. In tunnel vision, the path from problem to solution was bone-straight, the boundaries and lines to the solution stripping away until the road was clear.

She couldn't do that this time.

She had gone from a socialite on a pedestal to a fallen heiress estranged from her father—penniless, disowned. No more black tar, white strips of paint, and handshakes at the end of the line whenever she needed it. And even if somehow after everything that had happened, she had actually been allowed near the track, someone was late in telling her because she was sitting in jail against her will right now.

So chalk up convict to the scoreboard, too.

That didn't mean that she wasn't trying to imagine herself in tunnel vision and it wasn't working. The feeling was there...the only problem was there were two beasts now. And the one that was gaining on her wasn't the one that dealt with her father anymore.

It was smaller...more personal. And stupid in the grand scheme of things, but she couldn't ignore it. Not when it had come up from behind like it had.

"_DidyouknowthatKorralikesMako?"_

No, she hadn't. The thought never crossed her mind before.

And why would it?

She and Korra hadn't started as friends, but she had been so nice lately. And it was rare for her because Asami didn't have a lot of girls she could call friends. But she felt like Korra was like her a little. They had made progress—they were connecting even: Korra welcoming her to Air Temple Island; racing together on the track and Korra praising her for what she loved waking up in the morning to do; apologizing for her father...

Huh.

...Korra _had_ been really involved with that—like, the catalyst that had gotten everything rolling. Way beyond it seeming that she was just doing her Avatar duty at some points. She _had_ been the one that accused her father of being with the Equalists based on a conversation; she _had_ been the one that led the police to find the motive and to push the investigation—

No. Time out.

Korra had done all of that, but she had been right in the end. She was blurring issues together, right? The monster that was her dad and the monster that was Korra were two separate things. She had to keep them like that.

Korra had gone on a date with Bolin. She remembered that because she had been there when they had planned it. And she had remembered thinking how it would be good if Bolin and Korra dated. They both wouldn't be third wheels anymore; their personalities matched one another's almost perfectly.

She didn't remember hearing about what had happened on their date though. And they hadn't been lovey-dovey when she had seen them days later either after their match.

"_Argh! Haven't you hurt me enough, woman?"_

Huh.

For two people that would go so well together, the matched they had played afterwards was their worst game ever. Even worse between them and the Boarqupines.

...When it looked like Korra and Mako had been fighting between them.

On the track, she would have changed lanes because her thoughts were shifting...

Korra and Mako...Korra and Mako...Korra and Mako...

...Mako and Korra...

Mako and Korra were friends, the type of friends that seemed only capable of functioning if and when they fought. Mako thought she was talented at Pro-Bending, but he had admitted to her that Korra's temper frustrated him from time to time. She got mad when he reprimanded her for forgetting the details of their plays; when his praise of her technique lacked the enthusiasm Bolin gave her; she was the responsible for tarnishing The Fire Ferrets' spotless record with that reckless holding foul.

And yet, their fighting had ended, or changed. It was more like whispering now. Like that one time when Korra was accusing her father. They had walked away, whispered something to each other, and walked back before she and Mako had left. Korra had looked hurt...and Mako didn't say anything to her when she had thanked him later for defending her father's name, just looked sadder in the eyes.

The same eyes that sometimes followed Korra when she walked into and through a room...or stood close by to them...or spoke to other people where he couldn't see.

"_She was just amazing. I never knew she could Firebend like that. I kept thinking she needed help at one point, that I had, um...me and Bolin...needed to get to the roof and help her. But she was fine..."_

He had said that when he had told her about Korra fighting the Equalists on the arena's roof. He had...stumbled over his words...

"_Don't do it! It's not worth it! Korra, it's okay! We'll be fine!"_

He had said that earlier tonight.

...She _knew_ that Korra liked Mako now, so it made sense that she had only listened to him.

But he had been _so_ focused on talking her down.

Did he...?

Did he really...?

"Asami."

She looked over at him and gave one long blink, to get rid of the thoughts.

His hand clasped hers and it felt warm. "You okay? Being here?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Jail's not so scary. Remember, I'm a tough girl." She gave a small smile because she felt like maybe that was something she would do if she wasn't worried. Or... suspicious. "I'm just trying to stay calm until morning. I know Korra's gonna get us out of here by then."

"No way The Avatar's gonna get us outta here." One man burst out, overhearing the conversation. "You see the way Tarrlock went around her? If he could get around the girl that can bend all the elements, we don't have a chance."

"Hey!" Bolin piped up. "Korra said she'd get us out and she will. She keeps her promises."

"I'll believe it when I get out of this cell and she gets my lights turned back on."

"...Korra _does_ keep her promises..." Mako murmured softly enough that only she could hear. "I just hope she doesn't do something crazy to keep it."

"Why would she? She wouldn't do something crazy when we're sitting in here." Asami answered.

"Because she's Korra. She wouldn't purposely do something wrong, but if she thinks going to the extreme will fix something, she'll do it. And...I really don't want her to. I told her we'd be fine. And we will be." His hand gripped hers and it had gotten warmer.

And the wheels in her head turned, further and further from the finish line...

* * *

Tunnel Vision

* * *

_Inspired by the episode "When Extremes Meet". For some reason, this was really hard to write, and I don't know if that's because even now Asami doesn't seem to have that much of a personality to me. Or I was trying to make the racing motif work too hard the first time, hahaha. But it did really work out in the end, right?_

_Even though I like Makorra, I do like Asami too. Alone. Without Mako. When Masami reaches its peak, it's going to be glorious. _


	8. The Bending Brothers & Associate

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Toza_

* * *

Republic City's government and The Pro-Bending Association (Pro-BA) both had laws about illegal gambling that pretty much said a professional pro-bender or official who got caught and was guilty would pay money, go to court, and then go to jail for a long time. However, Pro-BA gave the added bonus of permanently banning the poor guy and anyone who got caught enabling him or turned the cheek from the sport forever. That included trainers, refs, and announcers, the concession guy.

But Toza had his own law about gaming and gambling: None of his business. Man had to eat, had to feed himself and his family. Times were tough and sometimes a man fell on 'em. Honest money didn't stack as well as it did in the past. If a slob had to work numbers to take care of business, let 'em. As long as he didn't see it, as long as it wasn't inside his gym, as long as he wasn't asked to hold anything, and as long as he didn't have the police department knocking down his door, it was none of his business.

Besides, half the benders today lacked the potential he himself had come in and christened the ring with way back in the day when he was young and stupid. Before he had eaten, pissed, threw, or pimped his money away, got smart, and saved just enough to open his own gym to train and watch up-and-comers rise to bigger and better things...or fail. If after hours of training and strength and tears and blood and all that_ fucking_ _padding_ they gave with the uniforms nowadays, their ass still couldn't fight and win against another bender who was just working with the same, they were asking for their get-yours.

Take He-ping for example. He-ping had had potential when he had first come in. Firebender: agile, powerful movements; standing flame that could grow up to three feet long; flame punches that traveled about twenty feet; had a temper, and channeled it into brute force. Not the best method, but it worked. And now look at him: equal amount of wins and losses and double-gambling with some money in his team, some money in other teams. No wife or kids, just addictions to being wasteful and flashy, debt, and sharks. Collectors coming by the gym and standing outside those gold doors waiting for him to come and tell him that he still owed their "associates" this and that by when and where. No wonder the bastard had reduced himself to driving around in the Satomobile he slept in looking for and picking fights with street urchins where good people were trying to get money for a honest day of back-breaking work.

In this case, it was a kid that looked like he was just legal enough to drink.

"Hey! Hey!" He-ping had stepped out his bucket, engine still running, and was stepping heavy towards the kid. "You, Red Scarf!" His steps quickened when the kid didn't turn around, pushed a few other people walking on the sidewalk away. "Red Scarf! HEY!" He finally reached the kid, caught his shoulder and spun him around. "You hear me calling you! The fuck you keep walking for?"

Kid shrugged his hand off his shoulder. "My name's not 'Red Scarf', and I don't have any business with you."

"Wrong. You run numbers for The Triple Ts."

Toza squinted. He recognized the kid now. Tall, lean, some muscle. Dressed like his clothes came from a shelter box. Had just gotten into laboring, standing around places for work. Always had his hands stuffed in his pockets, head down, eyes on the ground. Saw him outside the gym a lot and inside the arena sometimes, on the days of the big fights with a huge knot in his pocket. Apart from that, there was nothing else worthwhile enough to make his white eyebrow rise.

"So?" The look on his face was bored, stance nonchalant, but the look in his eye was sharp.

"You've been getting my numbers wrong. Been stiffing me."

"Wrong."

"Right. Give me my money."

"Don't got it. You double-gamble. That means even when your team wins and you get money, you lose it because the other teams lost. Not my fault if you don't get math."

People were walking around them now, huge semi-circles made with carts and footsteps.

"Don't have to get math, only my money. I saw what you were counting after last week's match. No way your cut was that big. Which means you stiffed me." He-ping's finger stabbed at the kid's chest.

"How big the wad I was holding isn't your business."

"Will be if you don't hand it over. My business'll become burning ya face off." Muscles getting tight, stance changing. He was gonna fight the kid. Fucking pathetic, a professional like him fighting a street urchin.

"Whatever." But he didn't turn around. Amazing how a kid could be smart and dumb all at once.

A crowd was forming now.

It was none of Toza's business, not even when He-ping stepped forward and fire-punched at point-blank range. A one-two. Would've been good if He-ping was still good.

It became his business when he saw the kid move. Duck and weave, once, twice. Side-step out of range. Made He-ping work, made him pivot to track him. Another duck with the next fire-punch that came at him, fists close to the the face. He-ping didn't seem to notice the kid was close to do damage and followed through with a kick to He-ping's ribs. Solid enough for there to be a bruise later.

"You little shit!" He-ping's right fist came swinging, connected to the kid's face, but it wasn't solid. Kid wove around the left jab that came at him, hopped back, practically danced out of range. Shot his arm forth and flames came. Another cross-over with the feet and then a kick with the left and more fire good enough to push his opponent back.

An imitation of a professional. Rough, but not poor. And talented.

"BY ORDER OF THE REPUBLIC CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR RECKLESS BENDING AND ENDANGERMENT!" The balloon flying down and the policeman coming out made the crowd scatter, made it easy for He-ping to escape, but the kid wasn't so lucky.

He was Toza's business now.

* * *

He was seventeen, still a minor, so there was no charge against him. But to get him out of jail cost 1,500 yuans and took the metals over two hours to process the release papers.

Toza paid it and waited. And thought, making this kid his business.

The kid's face was confused when he walked out and saw him. "You paid for me?"

"Yeah."

"...Thank you." He walked out of the station, the sidewalk cool in the setting sun and Toza followed. He noticed he wasn't hobbling after the kid; the kid was walking slow for his benefit.

"Ya fight good."

"Had to get good at it sometime."

"Where'd ya learn?"

The kid stopped walking for a second and then started again. "...Places."

There was a lot in that statement, a lot of things that were confirmed. Orphan, scrounger, pick-pocketer.

"Ya move like one of em," the kid gave him an arching look, "a Pro-Bender. Watch the fights?"

"Yeah...Something like that." The kid's face hardened, tight-lipped. Pulled his scarf over his mouth.

"...Nunova my business how ya watched the fights or what ya did to be a good fighter, but don't gotta deny it. I'm not gonna turn ya in to He-ping or the metals."

"So why're you asking?"

"To see how committed ya are to it."

"I only do it because I needed the yuans. Soon, I won't have to do it anymore."

"So what'll ya do?"

"Work. Find a place that'll take me. Get an apartment for two people."

Toza nodded. Kid was level-headed, grounded, focused. "Y'ever dream of doing anything different?"

"Like what?"

"Taking those skills into the ring. Professionally."

"Professionally." He gave him a skeptical look, realized he wasn't joking, and shook his head. "Not me. I don't have experience fighting in the ring, it's too expensive, I'd have to train a year, maybe more, to be ready. Gotta find a trainer, and another fighter. No thanks."

Toza grinned. The kid said no, but he had thought about it, imagined scenarios and strategies. That much was clear and it was good—kid needed to be able to have a back up plan coming in. "I could help ya do it professionally. Big time."

He stopped in his tracks. "_You?_"

"Yeah—and don't say it like ya don't fucking believe me. If I couldn't do it, we wouldn't be talking. I can train ya, get ya registered, find ya fighters, teammates. It'll take ya awhile before you're ready, but ya'd be better than ready when ya stepped in the ring. If you trained with me, ya'd be in the business. And if ya stayed good as ya are now, wouldn't have to work the nine to five."

"I don't have awhile. I have things—people, a person—to take care of now. I need a job, or a bunch of jobs right now."

"I own the gym y'helping run numbers out of. And I'm old. Ya need jobs, I got shit that can't get done well all the time. I got people, friends, who could use hands too—nothing illegal, nothing that gets other Pro-Benders or the police knocking on your door. You do em, you get paid."

The kid still looked skeptical, yellow-brown eyes processing everything. He shook his head. "Nothing is free; no one walks up to someone and offers stuff like that so easy. People don't make other people their business so quick."

"...Yer right. An opportunity like this one comes only once in a lifetime. And here I am giving it to you. It's not my business if ya continue running numbers or do something else, but if I didn't see the potential, I wouldn't be here. Ya'd be in that cell waiting for next week to come."

The kid didn't speak 'cause it was true. Just looked through the ground like it had all the answers.

"...Give it a week to think about it. If ya still don't like it, y'can leave it. But if you want to take it, come to the gym, ask anybody there for Toza."

The kid walked fast now, but looked over at him one more time before crossing the street and disappearing.

* * *

He came to the gym three days later, a bag in hand. But he wasn't alone.

"This is my brother. If you want me, you gotta take him too. Not working with anybody else."

"Pro-bending teams come in a set of three."

"...Not working with another Earthbender."

The brother was a bit green. Could tell it in the face. Baby face. Wide, doe-eyed. Was excited about being there. But his body was broad; arms thick, muscle being made. Earthbender. Stepped with the heel and followed through on the toe—quick-footed, like his brother. Taught to fight like his brother. There was potential there too.

"...Okay. Now, I talked to the shirts that own the Pro-Bending Arena. They got space from back when they used to have fighters stay in the arena. Big enough for both of ya. Do odd jobs here and there and any other place ya can find, they take some of that money for rent. Five-hundred yuans for both of you. No money for food, but I want you healthy—so I'll be feeding ya.

"Y'll learn the rules and train the way I was trained, no questions except for when I say something and ya don't get it. But get it the first time 'cuz I hate repeating myself. Y'll see the matches—see who's good and who's not. Y'll learn to tell the difference. Read em before the bell even rings."

"Okay."

He pointed to the younger one, "Y'll learn to hide those expressions of yers. I can read yer face with my eyes closed."

The older brother didn't like that, didn't like the insult to his blood. He'd have to learn to let his brother defend himself.

The younger one got it already, nodded, focused his gaze. "Okay."

"...One last thing. You," he pointed to the older brother, " yer name."

"Mako."

"Mako. Yer changing careers, Mako. Y'want ya brother beside ya, that's two years of training tops. That means no bullshit. I don't want the last job ya had coming to my doors. So before y'step any further into my gym, ya tell me where you left yer business."

He looked at the man and nodded. "I told the guy I worked for I wasn't running numbers for him anymore. He said okay. Gave me my last cut and let me go."

"...Okay. Get in'ere. Leave ya stuff in my office, down the hall, left. And then join me back there. That's the training room we'll be in in the evenings. Gotta test," he pointed to the younger brother, prompting for a name.

"Bolin."

"Bolin. We gotta test Bolin out before the day is up."

They followed directions, the younger rushing to put his stuff down, but the older lingered. "I went to the library to look you up, 'cuz I remember your name. Toza ay kay ay "Rocky Toza". My...dad used to talk about you. Used to say you were the best. You played your first game in front of the first Chief Beifong. That paper said she called you amazing."

The smile that came on Toza's smile was grizzled but pleased. He remembered that first crowning moment in his life. Bright lights, the girls that had lined up, the cactus juice afterwards, the satisfaction.

Mako bowed. "Thank you." He walked to the office.

These two they were his business now and he could tell already that they'd treat each other well.

* * *

The Bending Brothers' & Associaton

* * *

_Just an origin story of how Mako and Bolin became The Bending Brothers. Tried to make Toza's point of view be a bit gruffer but I think I failed. But I think it's pretty good. _


	9. The End of Monumental Things

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Makorra_

* * *

_Random drabbles set after the end of_ LoK_ and before "Korra's Theory"_. _Some parts are toeing that T/M-rating line again, so read at one's own risk._

* * *

_"Once, after the maybe the third time when they had finally let all that awkwardness of the action itself and other things—Asami; the fact that after three times, this wasn't an "accident"; the aftermath of her final Avatar victory over Amon; Mako's belief that he hesitated because of selfless feelings for and loyalty to Bolin; that they were still teammates; that they weren't dating and doing this whole 'I like' thing by the book—stop being such monumental things..._

* * *

_The Aftermath_

Mako had started staying close to the radio whenever he knew she was going to have a press conference. It wasn't like he didn't know what was going on with her or he had really gotten into politics all of a sudden. It was because it seemed like the reporters were better at asking the questions he wanted to ask her himself.

And she always seemed like she was more willing to answer to them than him.

For example, when asked if she would be leaving Republic City and returning to the South Pole or to the other nations and kingdoms now that Amon had been defeated:

"For now, my place is in Republic City," she sounded much more confident than the first time he had ever heard her voice coming through the speaker. "Yes, Amon is defeated, and there are problems that need my attention in other nations. But the Equalist threat isn't over here, and there still isn't equality for both Non-benders and Benders. I can't say my job is done or move on to help others elsewhere until the equality I promised to give here is available to all..."

He could act like he wasn't disappointed in her answer, but he had hoped that he had become more of a reason for her to stay than just politics.

* * *

_Teammates_

They were all re-training now that the Pro-Bending season was starting up again. The Fire Ferrets were going to win the championship this year—that much had been clear. He had plays in his head that they could try out, new formations to test...when he wasn't distracted.

He'd been staring at her a little too hard. It had been hard not to. She had been working out and giving the same energy as him and Bolin, sweating just as hard. Her pelt was gone, tossed aside, and her shirt kept riding up, but he was used to that. It's just...he had looked over at her at one point during the first cool off and kept watching her fan herself by lifting up her shirt, the material rising and falling over and over and over and over and over and overandoverandoverandover again. Brown skin, curves, flat stomach, with a bit of sweat trickling down towards her belly button. And her turning her back to him was even worse because that meant he could see that the particular pair of pants she wore today hung a little lower than usual and that she had dimples right above where her ass began. Her entire body seemed to be glistening with sweat in the ten o' clock sun that was streaming through the windows.

And he had started imagining...things. And then he decided he had to try to change those thoughts because they were dangerous. So he started thinking about dating and taking her out and then getting her back to his room. And her somehow climbing into bed, his bed, and him putting his hands over all the places on her that he could was only able to see—

Okay. _Okay._ So he was still a hypocrite and even bigger one that Bolin because even though his little brother had liked her and was probably just as aware of her body as he was, he could clearly hand Korra a bottle of water to help her cool off, agree that Toza needed more powerful fans, and not gape at her like an idiot. He, on the other hand, was standing on the other side of the training room, trying his hardest not to turn red, and jumping from thoughts of touching her to dating her to making out with her.

The only thing that was saving him was knowing that no one else could hear his thoughts right now.

* * *

_Asami_

He was staring up from his glass of bubble tea at her reaction, her laughter, in confusion at what did she had meant in asking him _why_ he would tell her he wanted to date Korra before telling Korra herself? "...I figured I should tell you to your face because...you deserve better than to just hear it in the news with everybody else."

And there it was, more or less: him admitting over the last of their dessert that he still felt bad about what had happened, even after all this time—eighteen months and counting.

She sobered and started hitting the side of her ice cream bowl with her spoon, making a slight clanging sound. She was getting her thoughts together. "...What's the point in me holding a grudge when part of me started knowing it was true after a while? And when everybody was secretly rooting for you two?" She reached out to squeeze his shoulder in comfort. She was beautiful as always, but different now that she kept her hair in a side bun, a bit more mature in appearance. Like "The New Asami" that the newspaper always talked about in the Business Section. Restored heiress and rebuilder of the Sato Empire who had a packed schedule, and wore dark-colored dresses or business suits to meetings and impromptu lunch dates.

"I know I never said this because I was mad and hadn't forgiven you yet, but...sometimes, when you and I were a thing, I thought she was a better fit for you. And I know I pointed out physical things a lot, like how you were always ending up beside her and the way you stared at her, but it's more than that. You were always the first or strongest to react whenever something happened to her, or when you guys were just around each other.

"...If I hadn't come along, it probably would have been you two anyway. So just go and make it you two now." He didn't say anything as she put her spoon down and lifted her finger for the check.

* * *

_Selflessness and Loyalty_

"What?"

"You heard me. Don't act like the reason why you and Korra aren't a thing yet is because you're trying to spare my feelings. Because I hate to bring up bad things that happened, but you're a little late. You _were_ the one that told me that it wouldn't be a good idea to date her and then you kissed her. You weren't thinking of me then."

"Bolin—"

Bolin's hand rose to shut him up. "And you don't really have to think about me now. I'm still the most popular Bending Brother," he chuckled. "'Sides, me and Korra wouldn't have worked out; I would've figured out that she liked you more eventually. And then I would've felt bad anyway and she would've felt bad and say she hadn't meant to lead me on. So, just date her—you've got my blessing." The brothers stood in an understood silence for a few moments before Bolin broke the silence once more.

"Plus, you stare at her like an idiot during practice. A_ lot_. She hasn't noticed because you do it when she can't see, but it's bad because_ I_ can see it. And Toza saw it too the last time. He wants to bet me that you'll get caught before the first match of the season so I install the new fans in the training rooms, instead of the mechanics. But I'll get fifty yuans if you last for another two months. So make me proud. Win me money." He gave his older brother a slap on the back and walked out, Pabu trailing behind.

* * *

_Not An "Accident"_

Korra had gone shopping recently. And he knew that because he had definitely had gotten her down to her panties a few times before now, and knew what style she liked to wear because it didn't seem to match with her personality entirely well—soft cotton in pastel colors he'd become an expert in recognizing. Like sherbert and rose. However, he had never seen the pair she was wearing right now _ever_: black and skin-tight, like he could peel them off of her. And they took this shape in the back that he would only continue thinking about if she told him it was the reason why her butt looked even better than usual tonight.

She was staring down at him staring at them, trying to figure out why he wasn't saying anything. "...Do you like them?"

He knew what this meant as far as Korra was concerned: that this change in their relationship, when late-night Equalist riots or training sessions kept her away from the island and in his bed for the night, was no longer an accident. They had skipped another series of steps again; he was aware that dating came before excuses to have sleepovers and sex, and he had shirked his responsibility to make sure the former had come before the latter...Not that he was going to fix that right now...

His hand reached out and made its way to her back and slid down her skin until he reached her new purchase, hooking his finger around the waistband. Korra had teased him once that his temperature rose whenever they were about to...y'know. It must've been true, because he could feel it happening this time.

"...Yeah."

* * *

_Not by "The Book"_

Mako had kissed Korra a lot—a _lot_—before it dawned on him that maybe he was going about acting on his feelings with her was still wrong. That Korra could and would get frustrated with the fact that what they were was the physical. Like the fact they had had sex a few times now and that every time he wanted to be alone with her, he came to the island, made up some kind of lies, and ended up dragging her somewhere he knew it would hard for other people to find them. All of that for kissing and sex, but no dates. He knew that eventually, things could go south because she could start to feel like he treated her like she was disposable instead of like the girl he liked and chosen over his ex _and_ liked kissing. Like they were a secret still.

Of course, he wasn't good at bringing up things like relationships and dating up out of nowhere, so he waited until the most recent time they had kissed. He had eased into it like always, starting off with pressing his mouth on hers and then getting into it, sucking and pulling on her bottom lip, grabbing her hips. Her lips were soft like always, her arms draped around him, chest pressed against his and little whimpers coming from the back of her throat. She had gotten used to this, which wasn't good because it meant that she could probably would start getting frustrated but wouldn't call him out on it until it had built up and raged inside her—typical Korra style.

"Korra," he had said when they finally, slowly pulled away. "...I've been thinking that we should be dating like couples do—going places. Like the movies or out to eat somewhere. I know I've taken really long to say it to you..."

He had expected her to say something smug or stare at him all wide-eyed because he had confronted the problem early—not smile at him like she was trying not to laugh. "You know what's really crazy is that I thought the same thing sorta. That you'd think I was afraid of going out to places with you because, I don't know...You'd think that I didn't think that other people or newspapers would think you weren't worthy of dating me because I was The Avatar...I guess? Sorta? ...I was going to ask you out tonight, too."

...She had no idea how relieved she had made him.

* * *

The End of Monumental Things

* * *

_This particular series of oneshots were inspired by a line in the first oneshot of this series: _"Once, after the maybe the third time when they had finally let all that awkwardness of the action itself and other things...stop being such monumental things..." _ It just seemed really cool to give life to those things. I tried to make a challenge by keeping each section 500 words at most and 5 paragraphs long, can you tell (hahaha!)? _

_The hardest part to write was the less section. For some reason, making the moment Korra and Mako date somewhat believable is hard! I guess we haven't really seen it much in the series—I mean, there's lots of sexual tension. Most definitely. Romance, no. Not to mention I did it from Mako's POV. _

_I hope you enjoyed._


	10. The Epic

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_JinoraxKorra_

* * *

Jinora had a standard answer she gave whenever one another councilman visited the island for whatever reason and asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up:

"I'm not sure...it's a tie between two things right now, but I'm totally not worried. I'll probably change my mind in the next couple of years."

And it was true: she wouldn't admit that she had been between being a politician and a master Airbender because she didn't want to answer the questions that would come from her answer, or have her dad get his hopes up. Plus, she didn't think she could pretend that she liked all the politicians she met like Daddy did, and she kind of liked the idea of not having half of her head shaved off.

She was thinking of being a writer. She read books a lot and gave every character their own voice in her head; a new book was always at the top of her birthday list; and she had an imagination, one that was the deciding voice whenever Ikki and Meelo couldn't agree on, for instance, if the Kyoshi Warriors should kill the dragon attacking the castle and spitting fireballs all over Ba Sing Se by standing in the Super Earth formation and calling for Avatar Kyoshi's spirit, or jumping into the air and flinging their fans into its neck ("_... spashspashspashspash," _she stared in silence as her little brother chopped his own neck with both hands and spit flicked out of his mouth from the sound effects,_ "_kee_PEW_! And then the dragon would be all like, _'Noooooooooo'_!").

She could write about girls who went around the world and picked up cursed artifacts worth huge sums of money, or of star-crossed lovers who had to outsmart the very demon that had brought them together—later, after her first story.

Of Korra.

Korra, in Jinora's eyes, had all the makings of a good epic. She didn't even have to change much of the story, because what could be better than a tale of a very pretty and talented seventeen-year-old girl that traveled from isolation into a world that she didn't understand and was responsible for saving the whole world from evil? Or how she rose from a Probending novice into a Probending star! Or, if she didn't like those _two—_not one, but _two—_ideas, she could write about Korra having to fight for Mako's love from the evil Asami (okay, so Korra told her that Asami wasn't evil and had actually helped save her, Daddy, and Chief Lin from Mr. Sato, but the best love stories had an equally beautiful or handsome villain that kept two people who were meant to be together apart, and it would have to be Asami this time).

Plus, she knew of all of Korra's struggles—well, about the ones she had whenever she was practicing airbending. And even though the young girl knew that Korra was going to be just as good of an Airbender as Grandpa Aang, there was potential in talking about the times when she didn't do so well the first time she tried going through the airbending gates, or on the day she would finally feel the air and make it do what she wanted. Plus, years from now, people would want to hear about how when Korra had fought at the top of the Probending Arena, and how it looked like the petals of bright orange flowers in the pitch-blackness of night licked across the glass panes, or the first time she invoked The Avatar Spirit, the blue color of her eyes going to white and her voice mixed with other voices from the past Avatars as all the elements swirled around her, ready to take down the masked evil that dared to stand against her.

It was too good of an opportunity to pass up. That's why when the idea finally reached germination in her mind, she didn't hesitate to run over to where Korra was practicing and tell the older girl of her idea.

"Wow, Jinora..." Korra blinked at her when she was finished. "Um, an epic love story...Seems like you really thought about this a lot, huh?"

"Yes, I did. It would just be the greatest thing ever! I mean, there are _so_ many stories about Grandpa—they're are gonna be stories about you next and you need someone to write them down so that the facts are true. And I promise I wouldn't write about anything you wouldn't want other people to know." She didn't look like it because she was discussing business, but inside, she was practically bouncing on her toes.

"...I can't really imagine why anyone would want to really hear about my story when Avatar Aang's is so much better..." she thought about it for a second before smiling. "Okay, tell ya what: if and...when I actually do all of that and people start wanting a story about me, I'll let you be the only person who tells it. If anybody else tries I'll say it's a fake and you are the only person who has the real one, and if they don't listen, I'll...use my Avatar powers on them. Deal?" She put her hand in front of the ten-year-old, a handshake to seal and officiate the pact.

Jinora straightened up and took it. "Deal." She turned away and walked away before pretty much flying back to the house. She needed Mommy to give her a notebook quick.

She needed to get started.

* * *

The Epic

* * *

_I had really liked "Chocolate Milk", the fanfic I made for Meelo, and so decided that Jinora deserved one of her own. Plus, when you think of how the story is like an epic, with each season being a "book", you have to wonder about who exactly is writing it—or at least, I kinda do. The line about how Korra's firebending on top of the arena in Book 6 was going to be used for a future fanfic from Mako's POV, but I might never write it...and I need Jinora to show her chops._

_I'm sure that when I figure out what to write for Ikki, I'll do it. _


	11. Numbers II

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Mako_

* * *

_You're nineteen, your brother is seventeen, and things are different now. No more running numbers, no more going hungry, sleeping out in the cold. You still fight, but it wasn't because people bigger and meaner and tougher than you threatened you and the goofy little brother you love and were responsible for anymore. It was more for sport. Your name was known for the skills and style you had learned so long ago and honed in Toza's gym now. _

_You hadn't thought about Lightening Bolt Zolt or The Triple Ts in two years. _

_Not until the night you had seen Amon take Zolt's bending with your own two eyes. _

_You had kept your ears open to any word on what had happened to him afterwards, when you and Korra had disrupted the Equalist rally. There had been news of the triad disbanding, headquarters being abandoned, and workers heading over to the Agni Kais. But no news of Lightening Bolt Zolt himself._

_And it wasn't like you could do anything for him now, but he had done something for you long ago. Ignoring what had happened right in front of you was stupid—because it had happened right in front of you. And it could have been you or your little brother._

_You had to know. _

_So you dug up a set of numbers from memory._

_34 500 73 4 10_

_Province 34, the residential district they made almost eight years ago, on the 500th block of Republic City. Building No. 73, a skyscraper that still looked the same from the outside, but the apartment lobby inside on the other side of the glass wall had been remodeled. The 4th floor, where the apartments actually were, and the buzzer for Apartment 10._

_Bzzt bzzt. Quick, as always._

_Static came through the intercom. Somebody was listening._

_You press the button to speak and say the magic word: Cherry._

"_...Who is it?"_

_You say your name._

_"Really?"_

_Yes. It's really you._

_The lobby door buzzes opens and you walk past the guy at the front desk that recognizes you from the fights, and thank him and you promise to sign whatever it is he wants you to sign after you come down._

_The carpet and doors were still black, but the color and material looked new. And they had changed the wall fixtures._

_Cherry's waiting for you outside of her door with a smile on her face. She hugs you when you get close, and you realize that she's not wearing anything underneath her robe as per her nature. You try not to blush. Two years ago, you had been used to it, but now, she was making you feel embarrassed like the first time you had met her. It doesn't help that you remember that while only a few people knew where Cherry lived, not a lot of people were allowed inside. Just Zolt, Rui, and you for whatever reason. And because no one was able to get inside of her building without force, and Zolt would've killed Rui if he had done anything to Cherry, and no one had to worry about you anymore, Cherry had been allowed to dress however she wanted when she was at home._

"_Come in, come in!" She closes the door and shuts all the locks she got placed on her door over the years. __She cups your face and traces the curve of your cheeks with her thumbs like you're a piece of art. __"You look so different. Even different from the newspapers." _

_Soon after becoming a runner, you had learned that even though Cherry's big cheeks and almond-shaped eyes made her look like she was eighteen, she had actually been twenty-one, ten years older than you. She still didn't look all that different after ten years, face and frame were mostly the same, except for her hair that she kept up in a coif, a very curly rooster's crown now, and the makeup she had put on her lips, the peach-colored lipstick. You're in the beginning of a new relationship with a girl that's definitely out of your league, and that girl, Asami, is beautiful, but you remember that Cherry had been a crush from your past and the subject of your wet-dreams for awhile when you were fourteen. _

"_I thought that after you had come here the last time to tell Zolt you weren't running numbers for him anymore, you weren't going to come back. ...Remember?"_

_You did. Cherry had actually been the one that had told Zolt to give you your money and let you go, but she was sad when she had hugged you goodbye as you walked out her door, yuans in hand, and whispered that you were a good kid and she was happy that you weren't going to do this anymore. She had closed the door on you softly that night. _

"_And remember how I never cared about Pro-Bending?"_

_You remembered._

"_Well, I started following your team. I always listen to your matches on the radio. You and Bolin sound like you're so good—better now that you got rid of that one guy, Hanook."_

_She smiles, pleased with what she knows, and you don't correct her. _

"_You want a beer?"_

_No, you're good. _

_You watch her fly around her kitchen, reaching in the icebox for a bottle and then yanking open a drawer and pulling out a bottle opener, waving down your offer to open it for her. She pulls up the stool beside you and sits in it, tipping her bottle and body back slightly for the first sip. Her robe opens a bit at the top and slips off her shoulders and you see skin and her cleavage and the fold of her stomach. Her legs cross and the bottom half slips back and you see the skin of her hip and bottom._

_...She has really kept herself put together._

_She places her bottle down and stares at you like she kinda knows why you're here. Her look was mature, somber, expectant and patient._

_So you don't keep her waiting._

_You had...heard about what happened to Zolt. Was it true? _

_Her face tenses._ "_Yeah," she whispers. _

_Where was he?_

"_He's not in the back if that's what you're asking, and you know I can't tell you where he is exactly."_

_...How was he holding up?_

"_...Not good. He's...calm now. But the first night, he had spent the rest of the night here trying to bend again. The entire night opening his palm, punching air, and nothing. He said he couldn't feel it, like part of him had been taken out of him. And I thought he was going to start crying...he looked like he was gonna cry, which I have never seen him do before...But then he started screaming and knocking my stuff down. Auntie's picture, my vases and figurines. I spent most of the night in my room afterwards..." _

_She looked over at her living room and you follow her gaze. She hadn't redecorated since the night you left. She_ _was missing stuff. Auntie's picture on the wall, the only thing left of the old woman that almost bit your head off the first time you came here, was now sitting in a frame with a huge chunk missing bottom left corner._

"_I didn't come out until I heard him snoring."_

_If it hadn't been Cherry, you might've asked if she had gotten hurt, but you know Zolt wouldn't harm one hair on her head. So you move on. _

_Was he better now?_

_She shook her head and got this far away look. "He'll never be better...He loved firebending. It's what made him different, you know? He liked all benders, but he loved firebending the most. Firebending got him everything he ever wanted. _

_Her eyes snap back to look at your face._ "_...It's so funny that you're here today. Did someone tell you?"_

_What?_

"_Zolt. He's leaving Republic City and going to The Fire Nation."_

_But Zolt loves Republic City._

"_He still does, but...he can't be here anymore. Not with the way things are now. When the Chi-blockers had popped up that night, they had come into headquarters with no problem. A place crawling with benders and they just came through like they owned the place. And when Amon took his bending, he did it like it was no problem. Zolt has always been untouchable in Republic City; not even the police department can keep him for long. But, Amon kept him longer than any of the metals had done his entire life. Touched Zolt like he was nothing." Her hand grabbed for the neck of her beer again and took another swig. _

"_He wants Amon's mask, but he's not calling for a bid on it. He...he gets nightmares, like Amon could take his life next. If anyone else tried to get close to Amon, they'd probably take away their bending too. He doesn't want that."_

_But The Triple Ts..._

"_There's no point in running a group of benders when he can't bend himself anymore, and just about anyone who was part of the triad is probably with the Agni Kais now. You know Zolt has always run stuff on power, not __sympathy__... __He had been wanting to retire; this just speeds it up._

_"And...He's taking me with him." Her voice cracked a bit, emotional. "He's leaving and he wants me with him. I was packing when you came in. We're gonna live together."_

_You look up and she's staring far away at the ground, and you know that this was still a shock to her, one that she was happy about. Cherry was never the only girl Zolt had, she had always known that, but she loved him and was loyal to her feelings for him. Stayed with him for ten years, maybe more._

_And she was his favorite. He had told you that once during a conversation about how this world was yours for the taking, that anything you wanted could be yours: money, cars, houses, and girls like Cherry. She was the only girl he had never stolen from another wannabe crime lord; from the moment he had met her, she had proved her loyalty time and time and time again. That was why she knew just as much about his business, almost as much as Rui, and why he trusted her word. That's why he had kept her around longer than any other girl he had had; flaunted her everywhere. Told her things—made sure that his inner circle recognized and respected her word after him. _

_Even though she wasn't a Bender._

_And now that he was saying goodbye to Republic City, she was going with him._

_...When are you leaving?_

"_I can't tell you anything like that, but we'll be there in a week. Where we're going, I get to design everything...the house we're going to live in." She grins to herself. "I know we're moving because things are bad, but I know I can help make it better for him."_

_And you're happy because she's happy and you tell her so. _

_...You stand._

_There's really nothing else left to say. You had come here because she knew about something you wanted to find out. And now that you knew it too, it was time to go. This part of your life was over and soon, it would stop existing entirely._

_She gets out of her chair, even though you say she doesn't have to, and she opens her door for you. "Bye, Mako." She cups your face once more and kisses your cheek. And then keeps her lips on your skin for a long time. Her eyes are glassy when she pulls away._

_And it's awkward for a moment: you'd tell her you'd miss her, and that would be true a little, but she probably wouldn't cross your mind too much; after all, you'll never see her again. But at least when you did, you'd remember her being happy._

"_Win your first season okay? You're not allowed to lose any matches, or I'll come back and beat you up myself. I'll make sure I keep up with your season...Tell Bolin I said hello."_

_You say you will._

_She goes inside and her door closes, softly._

_And you go back the way you came: 10 4 73 500 34_

* * *

Numbers II

* * *

_A continuation of "Numbers" and inspired by "The Revelation". It had been weird to me that even though Mako had done work for The Triple Threat Triad, when he saw Zolt get his bending get taken away, he didn't really react. Maybe that was because he didn't know who Zolt was, but Amon had introduced him. ...Whatevs. I'm happy I got to bring back Cherry again. _


	12. Fairytales, Make Believe, and Princes

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Makorra_

* * *

"_Once upon a time, long ago, there was a warrior chief, a Waterbender, with a daughter so beautiful and kind that it was said that it was only comparable to The Mother Earth herself. All who looked upon her believed that she would be the most beautiful bride when she came of age and when she did, men from near and far offered her father gift for themselves or on their sons' behalf. Her story had spread so far that the animals sought her out as well, but when the Wolf Spirit heard of her beauty and then saw it for himself, he decided he would be the only one to have her and took her from her home._

"_The chief, distraught, promised that whomever could retrieve his daughter would have her hand in marriage. Many young men sought out the Wolf Spirit but either could not pursue him or were killed in battle with him. The story of the Wolf Spirit's deed and maliciousness, and the loss of so many of their warriors put fear in the villages and their people, but the daughter's beauty, however, was so strong that men continued to seek him out._

"_One day, the son of a poor fisherman, Amak, heard the story of the chief's daughter and his offer, and decided to seek out the Wolf Spirit himself..."_

It was funny what memories ran through her head when every part of her body seemed to ache and beg for rest and she fought off sleep. Fairytales, make believe, princes and warriors.

Korra's mother used to tell her a lot of fairytales when she was younger in attempts to get her to sleep. And when she had had to move into the White Lotus fortress, Katara had done the same. "The Scarred-Face Girl". "Amak and the Wolf Spirit". And it wasn't that she wasn't into them or that she hadn't liked them, it was just...knowing herself to be The Avatar and the savior of the world made it hard to relate to beautiful princesses/young girls that were saved by handsome and kind young men/princes and carried off into the sunset or something to be married and live happily ever after.

Why hadn't the people who made up the fairytales written some where the princess or young girl saved herself? If Korra had been taught when she was little to fight on her own behalf, and had done it just now, why couldn't they have done the same?

"Korra! Oh, thank goodness."

She stirred, moved to lift her body to meet Tenzin's voice when every part of her didn't want to. _Oh, thank Spirits._ If this was a fairytale, this was obviously her calvary arriving, which was better than the treatment fairytale princesses got—five real people and her polar bear-dog were much more than just one person.

"Where's Tarrlock? How did you get away?"

...Except for the questions.

"Give her some space!" She heard Mako's voice, saw him push Chief Beifong and Tenzin out of the way, and felt herself being taken off of Naga's back, and cradled in his arms. Her head rested on his shoulder and the smell of him hit her nose when his scarf tickled her nose. "Are you alright?" He whispered to her.

"I'm fine."

"I was so worried."

"_Amak stood to face Wolf Spirit, and he was as big as a mountain, his mouth ready to eat Amak like he had so many others, but Amak wasn't afraid. He stood his ground and drew his bow and the arrow with the star the Night Sky had given him. The arrow flew through the air and it pierced the beast's skin..." _

"I'm glad you're here."

She felt herself the two of them lift up on Oogi's back and be placed down gently. Spirits, he looked so beautiful.

"You're safe now."

The words seemed to be the ones she had been waiting for. She blinked slowly as she felt his fingers brush her hair away from her face and finally, her eyes closed and sleep pulled her in. And she was grateful for the assurance, for the confidence in Mako's words.

"_The Wolf Spirit fell to the ground, dead. And the princess was safe. Amak freed her from her prison and her heart swelled with love because she knew that she would never be in harm's way again..."_

Oh...

That was why...

_"And they were married and lived happily ever after for the rest of their days. The End."_

* * *

Fairytales, Make Believe, and Princes

* * *

_Inspired by "Out of the Past". Wanted another Makorra fic with Korra's POV since I technically wrote about five with Mako's this last time. _


	13. Ikki's List of Reasons Why She Knew

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Ikki_

* * *

You know how Ikki knew that Korra and Mako were perfect together and were going to be together forever and ever and ever and _ever_ one day?

Naga and Pabu liked each other.

Even though Naga was a polar bear-dog from the Water Tribe and Pabu was a fire ferret from...somewhere...they got along really well together. And you could always tell that people got together well when their pets got along together well. Animals didn't always get along, especially when one was really, really big and the other really, really small. Like a cat and a mouse. Or a mouse and an elephant-mouse.

Jinora didn't believe her and was acting like she usually did when she acted like she knew everything but she really didn't know anything. "Our air-bison and lemurs get along really well even though the bisons are really big and the lemurs are really small."

They didn't count because they had lived on same the island for a long time, back when Grandpa Aang first got here—of_ course_ they got along really well. But Naga was owned by Korra and Pabu was owned by Mako. They had just come together and even though they were really different, they got along. Even though Naga could growl really really loud and Pabu was really quiet and squeaked all the time.

"Naga's just nice." Meelo said now, air scooting around her and not listening because talking about how Korra and Mako liked each other was yucky. "She plays Avatar Kuruk and Koh the Face-Stealer with me _all_ the time."

No, he chased Naga around with a stick and she would run away because Korra always told her to.

"Same thing! Plus, Pabu belongs to Bolin."

But Mako took care of Pabu too! He fed Pabu and Pabu followed him around everywhere and he was red like Mako's scarf and when she had asked him one day, he told her he named The Fire Ferrets after him. So even though Pabu was owned by Bolin, he belonged to Mako too because why would someone do all that work for a pet that they didn't really own?

"I don't understand, Ikki." One of the Air Acolytes said when she was finished explaining. "Maybe Naga and Pabu are nice to each other because there are the only domesticated animals on the island."

...What did _doe-mess-ticated_ mean?

"It means they're owned by people." The other Air Acolyte said. "Being nice is in their nature now because they have been tamed by being owned by people. Maybe...maybe if Miss Sato had a pet herself, Pabu would get along with it as well. Or they would all be in harmony together."

But Pabu didn't like Asami.

"That's not true, Ikki. Pabu follows Asami around places." Jinora.

...Okay, it wasn't _entirely_ true. But Pabu did follow after Korra more often. Even when Asami held him, he always somehow ended up going near Korra.

"Well maybe that's because of something else. Maybe Pabu remembers that Korra helped save Bolin and always go to him because Pabu belongs to Bolin and Bolin and Korra are friends. Plus, you said that Mako and Korra get along really well...but they fight all the time."

They were only pretending to fight! They liked each other, she knew it! They couldn't like each other and be all _obvious_ about it, or Asami would know! Korra helped Mako find Bolin! _And_ they were on The Fire Ferrets! _And_ Mako liked Korra too because they had been on Team Avatar together and had stopped the bad guys!

"Asami and Bolin had been there, too, Ikki...Wait...Team Avatar?"

ARGH! WHY WAS EVERYBODY SAYING THAT HER THEORY WAS STUPID?

"Ikki, no one is saying that your theory is stupid." Mommy said softly as she pressed Ikki's head on her tummy where her new little brother or sister were. She was brushing her bangs between her fingers just like how Ikki liked her to. "I know that you think that because Naga and Pabu are good friends, Korra and Mako like each other too. But feelings between people and animals are different. It's easy for Naga and Pabu to get along together and like each other, but it's a little harder for Korra and Mako because of a lot of things."

Like Asami.

"Maybe, but it's none of our business, and I don't think that they would like it if you went around telling Asami or the Air Acolytes everything."

Sorry...

"I think it would be good if Korra and Mako were together, too, because Korra likes him so much, but the feelings between them are different. You're just going to have to be patient to see what happens next."

...Fine.

She walked over to the steps of the Air Temple. She was giving up; it wasn't worth talking to Daddy or Korra about her theory because he would probably just repeat what Mommy had said and Korra would get mad.

She looked up to see Naga and Pabu rushing out of the bushes and chasing each other around, looking a lot more happy than how she felt. Naga went to the fountain and lapped up the water, and Pabu followed, his little pink tongue darting out of his mouth more than Naga's. He went away first and waited, spinning around in a circle and squeaking. Like he was telling her to hurry up.

Naga finally pulled away and walked over. Ikki watched as their noses pressed against each other and Pabu climbed on her back and they went off again.

...Ikki groaned, covering her face with her hands and shaking her head.

Where had they been the entire day?

* * *

Ikki's List of Reasons Why She _Knew_ Why Korra and Mako Were Going to be Together (Forever and Ever!)

* * *

_There was a scene in "When Extremes Meet" where Naga and Pabu "greeted" each other by touching each other's noses and I thought it was freaking adorable. In exploring the idea of Korra and Mako's pets being a reflection of them themselves, I thought that Ikki would be perfect to explore this. After all, Ikki was owed her own oneshot and she's probably the first person who would actually go out of her way exploring the theory. But I kept thinking of things that would mess up the theory which made it even more perfect._

_Plus, she's funny. _


	14. Selfish Choices

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Bolin_

* * *

Bolin never knew Mako to be selfish. Never. And maybe that was because it had always been just the two of them, and Mako felt like he had to be grown up and the parent, but he couldn't remember a single moment when Mako put himself first.

Whenever food was scarce, Bolin always got the bigger portion or, in rare cases when they only had enough for one person, everything.

Whenever they slept, huddled under ratty, thin blankets that were too small for the two of them together, Mako was the one that slept lighter, ready to fight whoever dared to come upon them in the night. And Mako was the one that kept them warm, making his body hotter to fight the cold.

Whenever he had gotten sick, Mako was the one who worked harder, or even did things like steal, to get medicine. And if they were both sick, Bolin was the one who got most of the cough syrup and Mako was the one who had mucus in his chest for longer.

Whenever someone had messed with him, Mako was the one who fought, who made the fire come from his fists and shoot it, or the one who took the licks and cuts and bruises on his behalf. It was only because Bolin insisted that he needed to learn how to fight too, that he had to be able to protect himself better, that Mako had finally broken down and tried to teach him to use his earthbending as best as he could.

Mako was his brother and mother and father. And he was never selfish.

Bolin knew his older brother deserved to have things that made him happy. And if that happened to be a person, a girl, who made him happy, then he had every right to be with that girl.

But he wasn't sure if he was okay with the way his older brother was going about it.

Mako had been worried about Korra—he could understand that. She was safe in her room. She had awaken, but her body still needed rest from all the bloodbending it had suffered from Tarrlock, the fatigue that came from her escape, and the slight cold due to exposure—that was what the doctor that had come to see her had said. Bolin could understand that Mako was willing to help Pema and the kids get her better. Korra was a Fire Ferret and a friend; it had been their fault for making her feel she had to go so far as to confront Tarrlock privately and directly. There was nothing wrong with walking by her room or even sitting in her room as she slept—"to make sure she isn't having nightmares"—or grabbing the bottle of cough medicine or bowl of soup from Meelo en route to her room for her meals or her medicine, or even spending most of the day talking to her.

But what about Asami?

It was bad enough that Bolin had been stupid—really stupid, _so_ stupid!—and opened his big mouth about his brother and teammate kissing. But now that she knew about the two of them, Bolin couldn't really stand watching her act like she didn't. She wouldn't say anything because she didn't want to fight, but the way Mako doted on Korra was bothering her. She was always looking away when Mako walked by their table in the Dining Hall holding a bowl full of whatever Pema had deemed appropriate for Korra to eat. And pressing her ear to the door to better hear their voices on the other side of Korra's door wanting to go in but willing to wait.

"It just feels like everybody knows, like everybody is staring at me," Asami had said to them as they did their chores—feeding the lemurs. She was taking each piece of fruit and placing it in the cafe, distracted with other thoughts. "And I know they're not, but still. ...It's not that I'm not happy that Korra is safe—I _am_, but I can't underst—I don't like it. I don't like it! I know that Mako is worried, but you're worried too, right?"

"Yeah." He closed the latch.

"But you're not sitting in there, sleeping in a chair beside her bed right now. And even if you wanted to, you can't. The only time they're not in there together is when Councilman Tenzin is there.

"...You would know if they kissed again, right? Or if they were doing more than just kissing in there?"

"Asami, Mako wouldn't—"

She groaned. "I know, Bolin, I know. But out of everything I've lost, Mako really is the only person I have left...I just don't understand...why is Korra acting like she doesn't know that?"

And what about Korra?

Korra liked Mako, and she might have known that she was doing something wrong in having his undivided attention all the time, but she certainly wasn't going to stop. Bolin knew she wasn't lying about the way she felt, nor was she doing this to be malicious. It wasn't as if she was pretending that she was too weak to do anything—she relied on her strength; if she didn't act like she was strong and capable, it would be the same thing as being defeated to her—but she was willing not to force herself out of bed if it meant that his brother was willing to be there most of the time her eyes opened from her naps. She knew that the moment she stepped out of bed without help, she would have to pretend like she didn't want to make him stay with her and interact with her in a way that didn't involve them yelling or screaming at one another.

Bolin knew he couldn't confront Korra about it, at least not when she was still recovering. When he came in to hang out with her and the moments in between them acting stupid and laughing at Pabu's antics or her excitement at connecting with Avatar Aang or the surreal dreams she had, what she believed were moments of Avatar Aang still connecting with her, he wanted to help her not think too much about what was next or what had happened to Tarrlock or facing Amon once and for all. Even though she was in the wrong, Bolin couldn't ask her to think about how she was going to handle bringing peace to the world _and_ what she was going to do about her and his brother.

All roads led to Mako.

He didn't want to be the one to confront his brother about juggling the way he felt about Korra and Asami, but if he didn't, who would?

"You have to make a decision." Bolin had placed Pabu down and faced his brother that night—he was being that serious because it was better to just say it and then go to bed. "It's not fair to either of them and you know it."

Mako looked at him guiltily and then back at his blanket. He face was serious, tight. "I know...But Bolin, I can't."

"Yes, you can—you have to. If you don't, it'll just be bad at the end."

"It's complicated..."

"What else is new?"

Bolin didn't usually use sarcasm on Mako and his brother knew it. "Yeah, I know...What if the choice I make is the wrong one or someone else winds up being hurt? Asami doesn't make any demands on me, but I know she depends on me. And I promised to be with her and for her after we found out about her dad. But Korra...I thought I was gonna go crazy when we were looking for her and we couldn't find her. And when we did, she just looked really...fragile on Naga's back."

"I remember."

"...What if they start to hate each other? What if Asami decides to join her dad because of me?"

"Asami wouldn't do that."

"What if Korra loses against Amon because I decided to be with Asami?"

"Korra wouldn't be like that." Mako gave her brother a look. "She wouldn't. She wouldn't lose to Amon because of that."

Mako ran his hand through his hair. "...Who would you choose?"

"...I don't know."

* * *

Selfish Choices


	15. The Annoucement

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Lin_

* * *

Zongzi: a traditional Chinese dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. They are cooked by steaming or boiling.

(Source: Wikipedia)

* * *

"Councilman Aang," she cut him off before he could correct her in that good-natured way he did, "I'm sorry—_former_ Councilman Aang, is there any reason why you're here in my office this morning?"

"I just stopped by to see you Li—Chief Duty Beifong. To see how you were doing after—"

Less than a minute at her door and he was already giving himself away. "—after?"

"After the day you had yesterday." He pointed to the paper sitting on her desk, her face on the front page and the story about the counterfeit yuan operation she had busted yesterday. Five months of hard work finally put to rest. She should have been sleeping, deserved to sleep for days, but with the letter she had gotten in the mail, it was better that she came in. It was better to already be awake than be pulled out of slumber at home. They were still looking for stragglers.

After all, she had known that the ex-councilman (it was always titles and diplomacy whenever someone stepped into her office—no exceptions, especially not for her mother's old friends) would probably come by today, to tell some story about something or other, but in actuality trying to probe her to see how she was feeling.

She opened the door and let him in first. She followed, sat down in her chair, and grabbed at the bag and carton of coffee he had set down for her—black with sugar like how she liked it. She opened the bag. Zongzi, the kind with mushrooms and egg yolks, her favorite exception to the non-vegetarian diet she had. Somebody on that island still remembered her favorite breakfast. "You don't have to tell a half-lie about why you're here Aa...Avatar Aang. I received my mail yesterday, read it, and haven't really thought about it since then."

She really hadn't because it didn't matter.

It really didn't.

She didn't care. She really really didn't care.

She wasn't the kind of woman—the kind of _person_, period—to spend the night sitting around in her apartment, eating cartons of ice cream, and being emotional about the past.

It was a relationship that had ended long ago; it wasn't something to cry about, even now. Her energy was better spent doing and thinking about something else. It had always been whenever she and...feelings about Tenzin were concerned.

She watched him opening his own bag and lift out a steamed bun. "Well, that's good."

"I know; it beats us asking each other roundabout questions."

Like, _When exactly?_

When exactly two years ago had Tenzin decided that Pema was the girl for him? She remembered that they had studied together...that Tenzin had agreed to teach Pema more about Airbending culture because she seemed "genuinely interested". When exactly during all those talks about Airbending clothing and arrow tattoos and the vegetarian diet had him liking her become an idea? A thing to try? How exactly had those conversations changed into those of romance? What—had Pema asked questions about the way Airbending children were raised and _Tenzin_, staunchly-devout and abstinent _Tenzin_, had told her, put the moves on her?

Did Tenzin even _have_ moves?

She scoffed, doubting it since she had been the one to ask him on a date the first time they were together.

But...maybe he did if her mail was anything to consider.

Would've been great to have seen them back when they had been together. At any of the given times from adolescence to adulthood when they had been together—the first time, the second time, the fifth time.

"...I'm not going to arrest her if that's why you're here."

Of course she wouldn't. Things were going well for her now. There had been talk of her possibly becoming chief at year's end, and with the bust yesterday, there was no doubt in her mind it was coming true. She had finally achieved what she had set out to do and had made no compromises in getting what she had wanted, just adjustments.

Like after the first breakup, when she had wanted to take their relationship further, to make it more physical, and he wanted abstinence as per his culture. She had broke up with him and found another guy happy to give her what she had been ready for. And when she had decided that that guy wasn't for her anymore, she had gone back to Tenzin.

And after the third time, when he had wanted her back and he had agreed to them bringing up the "M" word later, when the idea didn't make her feel..._weird_...

And the fourth time when she had gotten stressed about being looked over for chief—murmurs from competition and questions about if she was the right person for the job and debates about how much it had to do with her being good and her mother—and told him that all his talks about marriage and kids weren't helping. They just weren't helping. She couldn't think about being all _domesticated_ because it wasn't her, she couldn't do it, and if he had a problem with the answer she was finally giving him, he could leave.

And the fifth time when, in the middle of them having a screaming match, he had finally, calmly, decided to end things.

"_I'm saying this because I can't lie to you about this, especially when I think it's best. Every time we get back together, we just end up fighting. And it's the same conversations over and over again. We want different things in life...Lin, maybe it's better if we just let this go. I'm sorry." _

_She had pressed her fingers on her scar, the gashes that had long since keloid and Tenzin's attendance on her condition for months and months on end being the reason why they had gotten back together the third time. But what was the point in going back in time when they were breaking up and this wouldn't be a funny story they would talk about when they were older?_

_If he could be calm about things, she could be calm about them too. "...Fine. Get out."_

She had achieved everything she had wanted, and in six months, she would finally have something to show for it.

"I'm sure that Tenzin will be happy to hear that."

And finally, after two years and six months from the day she had lost her mind, yelling at Kya for keeping the secret of her ex's new relationship from her and heading over to Air Temple Island to make an arrest, Tenzin was beginning to get what he had wanted.

"_You are cordially invited to witness the marriage of Councilman Tenzin..."_

Marriage...to Pema. That shy girl he had begun teaching about Airbending culture, the bookworm. The one she, Lin, had ignored. The one that was ten years younger than Tenzin. The one that had somehow in the time she and Tenzin had separated for the last time, had become...straightforward...somehow, over her social awkwardness—flowers in her hair; rosy cheeked; furrowed brow at her appearance outside the women's quarters on the island. The one that Tenzin had deigned to place himself in front of to shield from her, the woman he had left behind, and her fury, her fists and threats.

"...Can I ask you a question?"

He smiled, the almost sixty-six years he showed almost melting away in light of his grin like they always did. "Of course."

"I know you didn't like the way Tenzin and Pema had gotten together."

"...And how did you find out that nugget of information?" He bit into his third steamed bun.

"Kya. She really has a small tolerance for pain when I'm involved." He chuckled, knowing it to be true and she allowed for the moment of mirth to pass. "...Did you think that we would get back together, even...after the last time we broke up?" The question sat on her tongue last night and early this morning.

"Did you think that that was going to happen?"

"Maybe. It wouldn't have been the first time we would've after a fight like that one."

"_I don't understand why you even want me around. Why do you need me? You're already in a relationship with your work!" _

"_Oh yeah—that's a real good argument coming from you, Councilman Tenzin of the Air Nation, the hardest working politician in office. It's like hearing the pot actually call the kettle black."_

"_Yes. Maybe it is. But the difference between me and you is that I won't want to be in a relationship with my work my whole life!...I wouldn't want to do this forever. But what you do, you're ready to do this for the rest of your life if you can..."_

"That is true. But would it have happened after that last time?"

...She couldn't answer that, especially now.

"And would it have been good if it had?"

...No. No it wouldn't have, especially not now. Because now that she had what she wanted, she knew if she had had it anytime earlier, she would have wanted to keep it, to do more because she could. More crazy hours; more investigations leading to money and drug and prostitute busts; dinners being a bowl of dried noodles with salty powder, soy sauce, and hot sauce packets; more protocol; celebrations being a simple bottle of beer with co-workers or a six-pack that she could empty by herself at home; more sleeping for only a few hours at her desk or in her bed; more pushing back Tenzin's wants and needs and at times, pushing back some of her own selfish needs as a person, as a woman.

She paused in unwrapping the last of her zongzi, realizing that all of it—Tenzin's accusations of her being more in love with her work was true. For now, at thirty-three, she was happy and in love with what she was doing and at this point, she probably always would be. Until those moments passed in her head when she would want someone to bring something different to her life—not romance...just a separation when her first love got to be too much, someone who knew what she was about and could handle that.

And now probably the only person who could bring that to her was getting married to the woman who cared more about his specific needs and could fulfill them.

That thought was really...sad. Almost sad enough to cry about.

The Airbender's question still hung in the air.

"...I guess we'll never know."

* * *

The Announcement

* * *

_I wanted to do a Lin ficlet that didn't involve her hating Tenzin or her and bending. So, in my quest not to do that, I hit the borderline between that: Tenzin's wedding announcement and her love for her job. It was hard to make Lin emotional, so I quit after awhile (hahaha!) but I think it works. _


	16. Worry

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Makorra_

* * *

Since the first time he had ever met Korra and then realized he liked her, there were three times when he had been really scared and worried—especially worried—for her well being.

The first time was watching her go after The Lieutenant, alone, and having to witness her falling through the glass roof of the arena. He remembered the sound of her scream as she fell filling his ears. Part of him wanted to suddenly become an Airbender or wanting to grow wings or _something_ so that he could fly and stop her from meeting the ground that would break every bone in her body or...kill her. Every second she had been in that smoke, even after Chief Beifong rushed in there, had scared and worried him.

The second time was finding out that she was missing. That was the longest time he had ever been scared, even longer than when Bolin had been kidnapped. His mind had had a jumble of thoughts: anger at her for not listening to him when he had said he and Bolin and Asami would be okay; fear at knowing she wasn't where he had thought she would be, locked in an Equalist cell underground or scrambling around to escape or even worse; rage at knowing that Tarrlock was behind it all, that he had taken her away from him and there was nothing he could do—he couldn't burn him or punch him, scorch that smug look off the politician's face, just crumple to the ground as he felt his body be manipulated without his control. Her lying prone on Naga's back scared him too, but it had been washed away by the relief he felt at seeing her turn to face and having her in his arms, at her sleeping beside him.

This was the third time.

It was raining.

The plan she had had to sneak up on Amon, to disarm him directly had failed before it had even begun. For all of Korra's strength and skill, she had been put on the defensive before she had even made her second move. He didn't know exactly how she had kicked him away from her, but he knew how she had been overcome when the other Equalists started attacking.

She had been knocked to her knees, arms bound by two other Equalists.

"Korra! KORRA!" He struggled against the men that held him down as well, trying to move away to where he was safer, where he could bend and people weren't kicking his ribs. He felt a boot connect to his jaw and the taste of his blood fill his mouth. It dribbled out.

He could see his future in the next five minutes. It be more of this, more fighting, more beating like he was a dog. With a swollen eye and lip, he'd be face-to-face with Amon. He'd think about the time he saw Lightening Bolt Zolt lose his bending in front of his eyes, he'd think of Korra retelling when she had overheard Tarrlock lose his.

When Amon made his way to him and took away his firebending, it would be gone. There'd be nothing he could do to fight it.

But he knew he was a weak link; his bending would only be taken only for the sake of a philosophy that stressed no compromises, no prisoners, no impurities.

Korra's would be taken first. He'd witness part of Korra—not the most important part of her, but the part that mattered most to her—be removed from her.

And then, he'd probably see her be taken away from him, in the way similar to the one that haunted his memories of being eight and jolted him awake at night sometimes with tears in the corner of his eyes. He'd witness the death of someone he cared for again. And this time, eleven years wouldn't stop him from knowing how it happened with clarity, not like how it was with his parents, fuzzy images of burnt skin and the memory of heaviness, the weight of his father's head in his arms, and the tightness of his chest, pained at yelling and crying.

It'd be the sight of her body crumpled and her blue eyes dead to the world forever that he'd remember this time.

And there'd be nothing he could do about it.

He fought against the hand that pushed his face to the floor, to turn to her, to look at her. He had already told her to get free, to run back to camp and Tenzin, that if she got free, she shouldn't come to get him.

But he doubted that all of that was going to happen. He knew how stubborn she was; she wouldn't her back on him.

And he knew the two of them were trapped.

She was kicking and fighting, trying to push herself forward and being brought back down to her knees again and again. Her chest was heaving, quick inhales and exhales. She was hyperventilating, maybe close to passing out. And her jaw was clenched, fighting to the tooth to squirm hard enough to free herself. He expected that somebody would put a lightning rod to her to keep her still, to make Amon's victory easier.

What happened was much worse.

His blood ran cold as he watched Amon make his way to the stage, back towards her and unaffected by the rain falling on him. He didn't rush, he didn't change his speed; his hands were folded behind his back. His look of discipline; his look of victory; his look of cockiness. He walked up the stairs and then unto the stage and Mako felt every footstep and his own heart beating in his chest. "KORRA!"

"So you thought you could win against me, Avatar. You tried to face me again, to be a savior to other Benders—to stop my revolution, to stop the dawning of the new world where you are no longer better than anyone else."

"I never said I was better than anyone else, Amon! And I am not only protecting Benders—I'm protecting everyone, Benders and Non-benders—everyone that would suffer under you." Her eyes were focused on the ground.

He saw her breathing hitch in her chest as he neared her. He wanted to tear the arm off of the one that dared pulled her wolftail back, that made her face him. Tears were falling out the corner of her eyes.

"Very bold words. What makes you think I would hurt my fellow Non-benders, my sisters and brothers."

She didn't speak at first. "Because it's not just Benders fighting you out there."

"Ah yes...there are the deluded standing with you as well. I consider them to be those who stand against the progress of themselves and their kind. But I wouldn't hurt them; hurting them would make me an oppressor, a dictator. I am none of those things."

She spat at him, the glob of spit smacking unto his mask. "Oh, aren't you? Or do you think you're a peacemaker with the way you've destroyed everything?"

He heard the thud of the punch the Equalist leader landed in her stomach. She cried out.

"Korra!"

"No, because being those things would make me a Bender. A rat. And I can only attempt to think like a rat, try to understand what they would do when they are trapped; I cannot _be_ the rat itself. And why would I stoop so low?"

Amon's hand moved from his back.

She didn't flinch when Amon flung her spit back on her, that same thick glob landing in her hair.

"You foolish little girl. I told you once that I would spare you to keep you from being a martyr. But now that I have you back after you slipped out of my grasp the last time, why should I let you and this opportunity go. The battle you have provoked from me, you have manipulated me into beginning and placing me against my brethren. The violence your kind have put against me since as far back as I can remember—and my memory is as sharp as an elephant-mouse's."

His fingers lifted her chin up once more. Mako could only imagine what he was seeing, what she looked like because he could only see tears from where he was. "Oh, those won't save you." Amon's hand placed itself on her forehead.

"This is the end."

"Korra!" He tried moving up again and it felt like hell. "Korra! Do something!"

She screamed.

"Goodbye, Avatar Korra."

"KORRA! KORRA! DO SOMETHING! BREAK FREE!"

The scream that ripped through her throat pierced his heart and then died out, like a candle. Silence hung in the air.

"KORRRRRRAAAAAAAAAA!"

It was the worse come true. His world felt like it was already falling apart.

And then the world really began falling apart...or least, the ground underneath him was.

A scream came forth and at the heart of it was Korra's, but it was different now. There were layers, other voices, to it. And there were flames.

The Equalists that held him, the pressure he had felt on his body, was gone. His head lifted and he felt the hell in his bones again. His ribs had to be cracked if no broken.

And then he saw the hell before him.

_Korra... _He thought her name and then he said it.

She didn't hear him. She didn't even look at him.

She stood completely still in the rain, except for her arms that were moving, bending. Fire. Flames more powerful than he remembered ever seeing from her, plumed and bloomed in the air, uncaring about the rain that at any other time could put them out, and unaffected by the Equalists that had dared to contain their maker and bender again. Mako saw them fall away at the colors and heat that came at them, and run into the forest for sanctuary.

He watched her see Amon step to her, arms poised in attack, and her twist her arm in coils and the stream of air that met him.

...Air...

She blew him off the stage and unto the ground with a thud. And she walked after him, stepping off the stage and floating in the air. More arm movements, more coils and Amon was being tossed into the air and flung to the ground once more like he was a rag doll. Mako swore he heard him yell in pain.

Mako's lips had moved, to wonder aloud at what she was doing, and he had begun moving before he could stop himself, feeling the pain in his sides and fear for her again.

She turned her head to the rest around her.

Her left arm lifted and the water, rainwater, that had fallen to the ground rose to her call. Her right lifted and chunks of earth and splintered wood from the stag and frozen snow broke apart and did the same, rising above her head. He could only watch as her arms moved them at her guidance, sending everything crashing down on them. He could hear the screams of the Equalists that were either hit with the water or ran at the pieces of ground that were dropping on top of them.

"You can't stop us, Avatar!" An Equalist yelled at her, acting as a shield as The Lieutenant scooped up Amon from the ground. Amon wasn't moving. "You think going into the Avatar State will stop us?"

She answered him with a yell and another burst of flames issued from her mouth.

He was saying her name again, biting against the pain that licked at him and trying to walk across the turned earth below him. The fear he had ever felt for her before didn't compare to now.

He wasn't exactly aware of how he had reached her, and how the air and water and earth hadn't knocked him away too, but all his footfalls and gotten him close to her. "Korra!"

She didn't turn to face him, but all of a sudden, she stopped bending. The water and earth were still above their heads and there was yelling far away and sounds of the earth moving. Tenzin and Repbulic City's forces were coming towards them. The Lieutenant and Amon and all the other Equalists were gone and most of them had to have been caught. He knew deep down Amon wasn't, but others were.

But they didn't matter for now.

"Korra!" He stepped closer. "Korra!" His hand touched her shoulder to turn her around. "Korra, stop!"

...She did. Her arm fell. The water fell like a snake without its head; the earth shook the ground beneath him as it fell and broke apart.

She stared at him and he finally saw the power in her face—her clenched jaw and her clouded eyes. Her fury. Her power, her full power in all its glory and fight.

One armed, he forced her to face him fully. His hand moved to touch her face, every curve. "It's Mako...Korra, it's okay. You can stop now. Amon's gone. I'm fine. You're fine. You saved us. So you can stop." He neared her, pressing his forehead on hers.

She was so still, so immobile. "Korra, _please_."

Her hand lifted to mirror his movements: His forehead, his cheek, his lips.

And he stared into the eyes that blurred the blue of her eyes. Korra's eyes.

And the tears that were beginning to fall from them.

Still more tears fell and he began to wipe them.

All of a sudden, the power in her eyes was gone. They were hers again. "Mako. I was so worried." She crumpled unto herself like a paper doll and he caught her fall, setting them down on the wet grass. He could feel her tears on his neck despite the cold rainwater that ran down his body.

She cried like a little kid. Big gulping breaths and screams and shudders that wracked her body.

"It's okay. You drove them away. We're fine."

But he was still _so_ worried.

* * *

Worry

* * *

_I wanted them to kiss in the last scene, but in the end, I changed my mind. _


	17. To Care for the Avatar

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_KataraxMakko_

* * *

Prologue: Alive

_His arrows flickered once before going out again._

"_You have to hurry!"_

"_I know that, Sokka—don't rush me and don't yell at me!"_

"_Guys! We don't have time for this. His pulse is still weak! Sokka, Your Majesty—keep directing Appa. Katara, focus on healing Aang!"_

_She took a few deep breaths and turned him over. He flopped against her; she couldn't even tell if he was breathing. _

_And his wound...it wasn't a gash or a deep cut or anything like that. It was like something had torn through his body. His flesh...it was like a something had ripped through him. She couldn't see it being patched well. If...when he got better, he would forever have a hole in his body. She could just tell._

"_Okay...hand me the bottle." Toph did and Katara gripped it like her life depended on it. The water still felt as cold as it did the day it had been given to her._

_She had never been so thankful for learning how to heal, for being able to make water coat her fingers and turn blue._

_Her hand pressed against Aang's back and ran over the hole that Azula had left on him. Back and forth and back and forth, over and over, from where it was deepest to where it receded. She kept repeating the same phrase, "Spirits help him," in her head until they all seemed to blur together. She must have been done that for...a minute? Two minutes? Five? Why did it seem like time was stretching out this one moment?_

_She could hear the wind blowing around her as everyone sat in silence on Appa's back. No one wanted to be the one to ask if the water had worked. _

_It wasn't working. _

_It's not going to work._

_Aang's gone._

_He's gone._

_He's gone._

_Azula and Zuko...they killed him._

_He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. He's gone. _

_She felt the sting in her eyes as tears gathered and slid down her face. It was hard to breathe...she didn't do well with death and Aang knew that. She didn't understand why he was doing this to her. She didn't understand why he was like this in her arms, a doll, a boy that had been living. _

_No one spoke as her sobbing got louder. _

_She hugged him close to her as the tears fell more and saw a blue glow through her blurred vision. _

_He's moving._

_He was moving in her arms...and he was smilig at her._

* * *

The Reunion

Katara lifted the gray shirt the seventeen-year-old was wearing and saw much of the same she had seen on the rest of her body: band-aids and tape and gauze. Scratches. The older woman's hands ran on a frayed edge of medical tape on her side, looking at the young girl's face for any indication of pain. Her brow crinkled and her fingers twitched to move, like it had when Katara had examined her legs and arms, like she was trying to move away from the one causing her pain, but other than that, nothing.

A small hum came from her throat.

Had Korra been awake, she might have told her that this is was not the best circumstance she would have liked their reunion to fall under. Suddenly rushing from the White Lotus fortress and traveling atop BaoBao for two days without even a chance to visit her parents to see if they wanted to bring something from home was not how she had pictured her student promising to be stay safe and be careful.

And her student would have smiled sheepishly in return at the joke and told her that she was sorry, but it was still great to see her.

She would have probably agreed and told her it was great to see her too, all things considered.

"These cuts and...bruises are...a week old, yes?"

"Yes." Tenzin answered her.

"They've been slow to heal..."

"Most of them are injuries from the other fights she fought before she had been caught by Amon. He's a very brutal opponent, Mother."

They always were. Katara pulled her eyes away from the sleeping figure and looked at the wall of people that had followed her into the girl's room upon her arrival.

"Has she moved at all?"

"She did the first day once or twice. But since then, she's been...sleeping." Pema said that almost like a question, like she couldn't be sure. The pregnant woman looked for confirmation from her family, Lin, and Korra's friends, the...brothers and the girl.

They nodded.

Katara nodded, brushed away stray hairs from Korra's face, much like she used to do when the girl was smaller and would catch a fever. She noticed the seventeen-year-old had gotten a few scratches on her face and burn marks around the corners of her mouth. She had been yelling fire again.

"Did she express any kind of pain—well, great pain that first day?"

"Yes. We gave her sedatives. It's had to have worn off my now, but she hasn't moved since the second day. We keep thinking that when she does, we'll have to her another sedative to her from moving too often."

She knew the young Avatar better than that. "You mean, you would have forced her to take the sedative to keep her from moving."

"Yes," one of the young men answered. Red scarf, hands stuffed in his pockets, tight eyebrow line, eyes cast to the floor.

"Mother, was Father like this the first time he entered The Avatar State?"

"Not exactly...Your father had been injured when he had entered The Avatar State and entered a coma for a few weeks. The fact that Korra wasn't injured and acts the same points to fatigue in some ways. I'm sure that for someone like Korra, who has been inching into the more spiritual aspects of being the Avatar, going into its full state suddenly has taken a large toll on her body. The bruises she's sustained on her haven't helped either. They're the most important thing to consider because minor cuts and bruises received in the Avatar State are healed quickly.

"...My diagnosis is that Korra is attempting to use the state to heal her body. Of course, because she isn't yet an expert, she hasn't been able to perform it so well, which is why she kept coming in and out of it...

"She needs help healing herself."

The room was silent.

"...What does that mean? How can _we_ help her?" The girl asked.

"Don't worry, dear, I can heal her. I will need her to be submerged in water to do so, but it will be a simple process from there.

"Of course, I need to get settled before we begin. If some of you would like to escort me to my quarters so that I may do so, and the rest prepare a bathtub, I would appreciate it."

* * *

Emerged

_She finally stopped walking. This was it, what she had seen up above._ "_Sokka, bring him over here!"_

_Sokka was walking, albeit slowly with Aang in arm. He had shifted his body in his arms three times and Katara was already annoyed—she didn't like it. First it had been a cradle, then like Aang was a baby doll, and then over his shoulder. That made her the angriest; he couldn't have been that heavy. _

_Her brother shivered as he stepped into the water. "Here? Katara, the water is cold."_

"_I know; it's cold everywhere. That's what happens when the water is outside."_

"_Katara, we barely avoided getting caught flying around here by the Fire Nations soldiers to get over here. And Aang is in a coma—we need to get him to a safe place. Chameleon Bay is our destination, remember?"_

"_I remember! But, Aang still needs to be healed and even though the Spirit Oasis water helps, I need a lot more water to do it. I'm thinking, maybe, maybe if we can get him inside of something or somewhere that has a lot of water, I'll be able to heal him faster. Even just for an hour a day." _

"_But Katara—"_

..She walked into Korra's room to see that even though she hadn't woken up, she had company.

The young man from earlier, the one with the scarf, stood at her arrival. He was tall. "Master Katara—"

"Oh, I am not so wrapped up in my title that I demand everyone to say it all the time. For anyone who is not my student or a fellow master, my name is 'Katara'."

"_And then I use the Spirit Oasis water to heal him at night."_

"_Katara—" _

"_I know, but you've only allowed us to stay at one place for a little bit. And I know that it's because we're still trying to get away, but he needs to stay in water for longer. I want him to stay in water longer. I'm looking after him and I say that it's important." She kneeled inside of the stream and felt a new wave of chills, but tried her best to adjust. _

"...Katara."

She smiled at the young man. "Now, you are..."

"Mako."

A Firebender name, and a very strong one at that.

He began to bow, but stopped when he saw her hand extended out to him. He took it. His handshake was strong, confident and warm. Very warm.

Of course.

"Nice to meet you again. Are you here to tell me where Korra will be taken?"

_She didn't want to be questioned about what she was doing. She just wanted to help Aang however she could. Aang was...a friend. _

"Yes. The Air Acolytes have been carrying buckets—water from some drums from the Northern Water Tribe."

"Ah, yes. Those. I remember them."

"Oh...they're putting the water into one of the tubs inside the Woman's Bathhouse. ...And I'm here to help you carry her there."

"...Just you?"

"...Yeah."

She smiled. "Okay. Mako, please. Now that I know our destination, help me carry Korra to it. Please try to keep her blanket on. It's cold out there."

_He followed her directions, dipping Aang's body in the water. She reached out to cradle him and have his head on her shoulder, making sure that too much water didn't splash his face. Arms clenched tight, she placed her hand on his back. The wound was still fresh, but was healing. _

_She tried to remind herself of that whenever she saw it and felt like crying._

_He didn't flinch, didn't move. Heart beating in her chest like a drum, she willed her palm to turn blue and she watched as the water around them slowly began to glow._

He nodded and leaned down towards the bed, hovering over her. Katara watched the way he acted, the way he lifted the blanket to gently place it down again. For a Firebender with such a strong name, he was modest; there was a bit of color to his cheeks as he spied Korra's semi-bare legs.

...She'd have to have a discussion with Pema later about maybe not having Korra in such a small pair of shorts. It was winter after all.

But he wrapped the fabric around her and slipped his arms underneath the back of her knees and shoulders. He shifted backwards slightly and rested her head on his chest.

Their walk was short and silent, and the bathhouse was abandoned.

"Have her face away from the faucet...Now, lower her gently. There...that's it." She didn't move to reach her student yet, just stood patiently as she watched Mako bring a stool close to her. "Thank you." She settled unto it and dipped her hands in the water. It was perfect, room temperature.

Her eyes closed.

The chi she gathered in her fingertips grew into its glow slowly. To her, at this point in her life, it was still amazing how her old eyes could still be fascinated in watching it spread and grow. It blanketed Korra's body, creeping in either direction to her toes and over her ears.

"Wow."

_His arrows were glowing, almost the same color of her hands and she was excited as she could be. It had been a week since the last time she had seen them do that. And it was the first sign he had given to her that she was doing something right in being forceful..._

She looked over to see Mako staring at her work, her blue chi lighting up his face. "Mako, I will be doing this for about an hour. If you have something to do, please feel free to do it, and meet me here by then or get your brother to meet me here."

"...I don't mind waiting; I don't really have anything to do."

Katara tried to hide the smile that was fighting to be shown, but she wasn't as successful as she should have been. "Alright."

And she would have to question someone—maybe Pema again, or one of the elder lady acolytes, maybe Chun was he best choice—about Korra...and this Mako.

There was just something a bit too noticeable about how he had handled her...Like she was fragile, lighter than air...

* * *

Changes

"_Is that...hair?" Toph rubbed her hand over his head._

_It had been two and half weeks. They were back in Chameleon Bay, something she knew made Sokka happy. Aang was getting better. His arrows had begun to glow the moment he was placed in the water and before she could gather her own chi...something that made her happy. _

_She had barely seen Toph; their patterns had been a bit out of sync: Katara was up in the morning, healing Aang still; and Toph was up at night, her abilities put to much better use at night, when they tried to move; and Sokka slept periodically throughout the day and night, fishing for food and ready for when Katara needed Aang to be carried when the sun was up, and stayed awake all night with Toph, sword in hand. _

"_Yeah." Her hand reached up to finger the thin hairs on his head. Seeing the way it sprouted over the tail of his arrow like grass was almost funny. She had come up with a few quips she thought he would have liked to hear._

"_What color is it?"_

"_...Black."_

"_Hmmm. That almost doesn't seem to match—you know, given Twinkle Toes' personality."_

"_...You're right."_

* * *

Childhood Story

"...The one thing she kept forgetting to do was return the plates back to the kitchen. And I was already suspicious because the way she had been acting had been going on for almost a week. I had no idea what was running through her head, and I couldn't understand why she thought I wouldn't notice her poking out her stomach on purpose. Plus, I had an angry kitchen staff to worry about. So, finally on the fourth night, I decide stay up to follow her.

"And she comes out of her room when it's mostly lights out, dressed like she's going outside which explain why her clothes had been wet. And she makes her way outside and starts tiptoeing towards the stables and goes inside. I follow and it's easy because she wasn't really looking around her at that point."

Mako smiled, stared at the topic of conversation as she laid in the tub. It had been the third day and she hadn't awoken yet, but her fingers were moving and there were twitches in her face. Those were improvements. "What did you see?"

"Well, I first heard her talking, murmuring, as if someone else was in the stables with her, which is impossible because the only thing in the stables are hay, sleeping air-bison, and bags of air-bison food, but it still worried me. So I drop my sneaky act and come upon her and she tries to jump up, but she can't. I move closer to see what she's been doing, and in her lap, I see this huge ball of white fur."

"Naga."

"Yes, Naga before I knew her as Naga. At the time, she was just a polar bear-dog pup. And Korra looks at me and then back at Naga and then back at me, and she just starts crying and begging me not to take her away..."

* * *

Unhappy

_Katara laid Aang across the bed, the captain's quarters. It was better than what they had been doing, having him sleep outside and wrapped up on blankets or on Appa's head, which was soft, but didn't exactly beat a bed. _

_She was glad that Aang's safety was a sure thing now. But for everything else, she wasn't happy. _

_Her dad was here. They had found them, him and the rest of the soldiers, but she wasn't happy. He had noticed a Fire Nation boat in the water before they had reunited. He and Sokka—Sokka, actually—had come up with a plan to take it and had been successful in executing it, but she wasn't happy._

_Deep, deep down she felt like maybe part of her was...glad her father was safe._

_But...outside, on her face, where it mattered the most, she wasn't happy._

_Her hand touched Aang's, and she stared at his sleeping face. She smiled as his fingers curled around hers._

_And she wished he was awake so she could be happy about him and forget about how she was so unhappy now._

* * *

肥皂劇/Soap Opera

She had been here close to a week, had spent time healing Korra with Mako in that time, and had finally spoken to Chun and then Pema when she was free.

There were a few noteworthy things about living on Air Temple Island she had noticed and had confirmed.

Mako reminded her of Zuko in some ways, except he was admittedly less brooding. It was more like he was a young man of few words. Which was good. She could understand how that and the moments he actually spoke, and gave someone his full attention, could be attractive to some girls—maybe Korra.

It was certainly true for the girl she had met the first day, Miss Asami Sato. Apparently, and according to Chun, he and Miss Sato were an item. Katara had to take Chun at her word; there was nothing she herself had seen between them indicating that fact. They sat together in the Dining Hall, but they didn't speak too often to one another. They walked together, but they didn't seem to speak to one another then either nor did there seem to be comfort in the silence.

...There was always a hurt look on Ms. Sato's face whenever he walked away from her, frustrated.

It was a look Korra recognized.

She noticed, in the moments when she and Mako weren't with Korra in the bathhouse and she was with her student in her room, he walked past Korra's doorway often. Sometimes he had excuses; other times, he stumbled through until saying something short and then walking out. And still more times he sat outside of the room long enough to be asleep when Katara finally emerged from the room on her way to bed herself.

She noticed that her grandchildren seemed to go to Mako the most when they wanted to know if Korra was okay or if they were allowed to see her if they promised not to make too much noise. (That had nothing to do with Miss Sato, Mako, and Korra exactly, but it was still very cute. And she was all too happy to realize that when he wasn't around, she was also number one on the list for the moment.)

And she noticed that the younger brother, Bolin, was the one cursed to be caught in the middle of it all. He and Miss Sato, when left alone to their devices too often, spent time together. The latter seemed to be always asking questions or pouring out her soul to the former. That pattern seemed to change slightly whenever the brothers were together: Bolin asked questions and made suggestions and Mako...avoided them.

"Pema, I don't understand how you seem to manage so well with everything that seems to be happening around here." She and her daughter-in-law were having tea and listening to the radio. They had figured out that less emergency broadcasts occurred on one station at night.

Katara found it sad that the Republic City skyline was less well lit since the arena had received damage, but still, she enjoyed the enjoyed the company of Pema and her soon to be new grandchild brought to her.

"You mean, the soap opera that seems to have be taking place in my home?"

She laughed. "Yes."

Pema smiled as well. "Ohhh. It's hard to ignore. The last few weeks have been..._interesting_..."

"And where does Korra stand in the middle of this?"

"...She likes Mako. It makes sense in a way: a girl, miles away from home, where there are boys everywhere, and she winds up at the feet of one of the the most talented Pro-Benders in the league."

"Really?"

"He hasn't told you?"

"No. Not yet. My stories about Korra have taken precedent as conversation."

"Well, apparently, that's what he is if Tenzin sharing Pro-Bending stats are anything to go by...I caught her asking Jinora and Ikki for advice a while back," she shook her head slightly at Katara's laughter. "I know. I set her straight, but I haven't exactly had the chance to ask how it turned out. I'm assuming not too good..." She sighed. "The hormones running rampant around here seem to be bigger than when Tenzin and I were dating, doesn't it?"

"It does. But I believe that was because all the players didn't live here together." Katara swallowed the steaming hot liquid, hiding her smile.

"Yeah...that's true. I don't think the island would have been left standing had Lin lived here when Tenzin and I first got together." She stiffened a bit as the baby kicked. "No, no I'm okay." She took another sip of her tea. "I can say that since it's started, I haven't missed my stories on the radio so much."

They laughed.

* * *

To Care for The Avatar

"...Is it always so...hard?"

"Is what always so hard?"

Day eight.

They, she and Mako, had been talking, but not about happy things. Korra and him caught by Amon's forces; the way they had been treated, him having to watch her kick and fight and the tears in her eyes when the monster's hand had touched her, and the destruction Korra had caused. She knew that had Korra left the Avatar State then and heard of the way she had acted, she would not have been happy. Korra, she was grateful to know, still believed in strength, not the violence that came with it.

"Doing this. Taking care of them. The Avatar. Was it hard taking care of Avatar Aang whenever he got hurt in the Avatar State?"

"Aang was only critically hurt once in the Avatar State. And yes, it was hard. You've already experienced eight days of this; I and my friends and family went through it for weeks." Her hands moved in the water, brushed against Korra's mouth. The burn scars were gone and the bruise on her side would be healed today as well. "But the one time he was hurt worried me. I have only been so scared for so long a few times in my life, and Aang being hurt was one of those times."

His hand skimmed along the surface of the water, close to touching it, but not quite. "I can understand that."

"Mako, the thing that I have learned is while it is hard to care for them, Aang and Korra, they know how much we struggle to do so, and they try their hardest to end our worries. Even during the times when it seems they're not around and we worry the most. They are always trying their hardest to come back to us."

He would learn that about five hours later when he would come to say goodnight and see Korra turning over in her sleep on her own. "...Is she really?"

"Yes, and has been for about half an hour now." Katara stooped down to pick up the pillows the teen had kicked off. "She's never really been a still sleeper. I was just about to ask someone to call you..."

* * *

Her Name

_She had only been gone an hour or so, for groceries. She didn't understand how that much time away could cause people to rush up to her when she returned._

"_What is it? What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing's wrong! Nothing's wrong." Toph said. "It's just Aang..."_

_She began to walk around the earthbender, intent on getting to Aang's room. "How can nothing be wrong with Aang—he's still not moving!"_

"_He moved!"_

_Her head whirled around to face her old friend. "...What?"_

"_Yeah. You know how he wasn't moving before? Well, he moved a little bit while you were gone. And," she neared Toph when she had beckoned her to do so and turned her ear trying to figure what was so big it had to be a secret. _

"_He started whispering your name."_

_She blushed._

* * *

_Epilogue: The Awakening/Worry II_

Ten days since her arrival and two days since she had left the South Pole, Korra finally opened her eyes, the blue orbs trailing the bathhouse ceiling before staring down at herself. They blinked wildly as her mind and her body began to catch up in its process of figuring out where she was and what she was doing.

Katara could only imagine how strange it was, finding herself clothed in a bathtub full of glowing blue water. But she was grateful that she hadn't jolted up and splashed her. Still, that wet wolftail of hers was sending beads of water across the front of her tunic.

"Why am I..." Her blue eyes looked over at her. "Master Katara?"

"Good afternoon, Korra. I'm happy to see you." Her arms emerged from the water, ready to receive the hug that she was due.

"I'm happy to see you too." She moved, brought herself up and stared at herself. "I'm on Air Temple Island."

"Yes, you are. You've been away for about a week or so."

"You've been healing me." Her arms tightened their grip slightly damping the front of her tunic even more. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, my dear Korra."

"Korra."

"...Mako?" Korra let Katara go. She began crawling back in the tub, almost climbing out before she seemed to remember what she looked like. Her face was turning red. "Why are you here?"

"Mako has been helping me heal you."

She looked between the two of them, confused. She spent water over the side of the tub as she tried to reach for her teacher. "Wha—Where are you going?"

Katara looked behind at the two of them. "I spread the news that you're okay now. Plus, you need warm clothes and food." She smiled as Korra's stomach rumbled and made itself known. "Mako, help her get out of the tub." She didn't turn back to see what was happening as she stepped out.

She did leave the bathhouse, but she lingered outside a bit. The air was cool again. There was going to be snow once more.

There was the sound of splashing water and talking. Korra asked a lot of questions like always. Mako seemed to be used to them too; he answered them, didn't fuss as he passed her the towel, caught her up on things.

And then there was silence.

"...I'm happy you're safe."

"...I'm sorry...You were worried about me again, right?"

"Yeah, I was. But, Korra. It's okay. You're safe now. Everybody's going to be happy to see you."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I keep making you worry. If I had known I would have—"

And there was a smacking sound...smacking sounds.

_Aang had cut her off with a shake of his head. "It wasn't the Water Spirit that brought me back. It was you. Katara, thank you..."_

* * *

Caring for The Avatar

* * *

_Whew!_

_This is a sequel to the previous oneshot. It's long—I know, but I hope you enjoy it. _

_It follows the layout of "The End of Monumental Things" in that are mini ficclets in here. And the idea of this...I __had been wanting to make a KorraxKatara-centric fanfic for awhile, but had had problems trying to write it. But in writing "Worry", I suddenly had inspiration. I think having the aftermath of Korra first reaching the Avatar State told through Katara was cool. And it just seemed to open up more when I realized that this would be her second time healing a wounded Avatar; I had an opportunity to fill in all those weeks we missed from __The Last Airbender__ when Aang was hurt and Katara was healing him. _

_As far for some of the stories like "Childhood Story" and "肥皂劇/Soap Opera", they were a "killing two birds with one stone situation. I had had also juggled ideas of having a KorraxNaga and a Pema story and this just seemed to go so well._

_That season finale has got to come. I'm super duper stoked. _


	18. Near and Far

_Um, who else was excited about that season finale? I was, although I can't help thinking that Korra's journey would have been extended: equipped with Airbending, but missing the other elements; her full spiritual growth; a journey into the Spirit World. But it was still really good...I can't wait to see what happens in Book Two. _

_So this will be the last oneshot. Anything else that I think about before Book Two will probably be a oneshot in and of itself. Thank you all for reading this. If you haven't already, and are whatever considers mature, please check out "Korra's Theory on Benders & Sex" and "Afterthoughts of the Night in the Morning"._

* * *

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

_Aang_

* * *

For as long as he had known Korra and had watched over her, he knew that the moment she learned something, she excelled at it. And there were several examples, but her connection with him and their predecessors.

For the first time in her life, Korra connection with him had finally broken through its cloudiness, and in her words, she was "a full Avatar". And he wasn't sure if it was because she was in a moment of peace or if she didn't know that she was still very strongly invoking his spirit, but he was very aware of all that she was feeling.

There was joy and relief. A blending of both: joy and relief at finally mastering her skills; joy and relief that she had saved everyone, his family, her friends; joy and relief at being home if even for a short period of time. She could see her parents, be smothered by their love like always. Her mom could make her favorite meals—she could eat breakfast and lunch and dinner all at once. Maybe she and her dad could go hunting, make funny faces at each other when they finished putting on their face paint and grab spears and just go. For Korra, who had always seen the appeal of freedom and had desired to have it outside of the isolation of The South Pole and the White Lotus Fortress, she was aware of the irony her contentedness in being home brought to her. In this very moment, she wouldn't mind being surrounded by whiteness and snow and cold for as long as she could.

But there was duty there too—for Republic City and the rest of the United Forces. A series of thoughts kept running through her head: Even though Amon—Noatak—had been defeated this time, he was still out there. He could always come back. And if not him, someone else. Just because they lost their leader didn't mean their ideals had changed. Another person could come and easily take his place...all it took was him or her proving that they were truly without bending skills and everything would repeat itself again, seemingly without having to take a breath. Even The Lieutenant could take Amon's place; he could be the leader just by appealing to those feelings of betrayal and...oppression. There hadn't been word on what was happening now; everything in Republic City could go on happening without stopping. And there were the other nations too—what if there were problems in the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Water Tribes, things she hadn't known about?

...Maybe she should talk to someone. Bumi? General Iroh? They had helped each other when they were fighting—maybe he could help her know more...

And there was love for this...Mako. He knew what that felt like spiritually—he had felt it plenty of times himself. An aura, a certain glow that colored a person's soul...It made sense that Korra would have feelings for a Firebender. She had just as many thoughts about Mako as she had about politics, self inquiries about trying to balance Probending and her Avatar duties and whether he'd even think them dating and being on the same team would be a good idea and how Tenzin might react when he realized that her and her...boyfriend lived so close by to one another. She'd have to deal with all of that later...once she got a little more used to the idea of him kissing her.

And beneath all those layers and thoughts was fear. Fear at the thought of losing everything she had just gained again. She hadn't forgotten how it felt those hours she had lost waterbending, firebending, and earthbending. Korra had likened it to someone coming by and cutting the strings to a group of balloons she had been holding. Or...something like that. She wasn't sure how it had felt for other people, but it had been so strong for her. And she didn't know if that was because she had had access to two other types of bending, but it had felt like half of her had been ripped away from her.

And she had everything back and she was a full Avatar—she could energybend and stuff, but...Noatak had been a bloodbender. A person didn't have to be as powerful as her to take her bending away, just more skilled. And what if...what if he had taught it to someone else?

What if there was someone out there who knew energybending too?

"I'm being paranoid, aren't I?" She looked up and over at him.

She was inside her old room, but not tired. And he was in a chair beside the vanity had had bought his wife once. In the few moments of privacy she had, she was seeking him out once more.

He smiled at her. "I don't think so."

She scoffed a little. "What do they think?"

The other Avatars. If she wanted, she could always ask them, feel them, and he told her so.

"I know I can, but I'd rather hear it from you."

They were very similar in thought to her. A chasm of thoughts filled with concerns and relief and fight and debates and solutions to problems. There was fear as well, fear that events could repeat themselves, that the Avatar Spirit could find itself at the mercy of someone who wished it to take it away again...and there were feelings of blame placed on him. For being so wanton with his energybending, for not truly thinking of the consequences of his actions, for not detaining the one named Noatak's father when he had the chance. But there were waves of relief and joy as well from Roku, Kyoshi, Krurk...so many others...

"Your concerns are theirs as well. But I believe that whatever you decide, you can handle the consequences. Both good...and bad."

"Knowing airbending and using the Avatar Spirit...doesn't make me an expert on this. ...I should go into the Spirit World and meet the other Avatars, right? Now that I can..." ._..or still able to._ The words she hinted but didn't think to speak hung in the air.

Aang looked up at her, his reincarnation that was like the daughter he had never had. Beautiful, impulsive, passionate, skilled, headstrong.

"I would really encourage it, but that can always wait until the morning." He stood and walked over to her and for the second time today rested his hand on her shoulder. "Whatever you decide, Korra, know that we all support you and are proud of you.

"You are the Avatar. You are the connection between the Spirit World and your world, but that does not mean that you are alone."

She smiled. "I know."

"Then you know we are right beside you. Always. Whatever you decide, we will support you. You are strong and capable of finding the solutions you feel are best. You are this world's and this time's Avatar. We all have faith in you.

"_I_ have faith in you. And I will always stand at your side when you need me."

She smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

Near and Far


End file.
